YEREVAN, Armenia / AfricaWire.IO / – As human activities continue to cause significant harm to the natural world, over one million species are currently facing the risk of extinction, warned United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday. Speaking at the Leaders’ Summit held in Yerevan, Armenia, on October 16, he emphasized the urgent need for effective global measures to combat environmental decline. This summit was held ahead of the 17th UN Biodiversity Conference, COP17, which Armenia is hosting from October 19 to 30. Guterres expressed that ongoing destruction jeopardizes the future of life on Earth.
The Secretary-General urged governments to increase investments in solutions that protect ecosystems, while also calling for greater involvement from businesses and local communities. He pointed out climate disruption, overgrazing, and the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides as critical factors driving the triple planetary crisis. Pollution, loss of biodiversity, and climate change are collectively pushing the planet toward becoming uninhabitable, he stated, but added that this outcome is not inevitable.
Four years after the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Guterres noted that progress has been inconsistent and too slow. The 2022 agreement aimed to conserve 30% of the planet’s land and sea by 2030. Since then, nearly 90% of participating countries have set national biodiversity targets, with more than half creating national road maps. He described the Yerevan gathering as a crucial moment for accountability halfway through the effort.
$30 spent on harm for every $1 on nature
Guterres highlighted a significant imbalance in global spending on nature. For every dollar invested in conservation, $30 are spent on activities that damage ecosystems. In 2023 alone, $7.3 trillion flowed into industries that harm nature, including heavy industry, destructive agribusiness, and fossil fuels. He called for the permanent elimination of such subsidies. Additionally, Guterres pointed to the Cali Fund, which encourages companies benefiting from natural resources to contribute financially.
He emphasized that achieving biodiversity, climate, and land restoration goals will require an annual investment of $571 billion in nature-based solutions by 2030, which is approximately 0.5% of global gross domestic product. However, biodiversity financing remains below half of the $200 billion yearly target established in the framework. Guterres also noted that heavy debt burdens, limited budgets, and an unfair international financial system hinder developing countries’ capacity to invest in nature.
Current commitments cover only 26% of land
Existing pledges fall short of the 30% conservation target. If nations fulfill their current commitments, only 26% of terrestrial ecosystems and 12% of marine ecosystems would be protected by 2030. Since 2022, formal protection efforts have expanded to include an additional 1.3 million square kilometers of land and 6 million square kilometers of ocean. Guterres urged nations to shift from policies that harm nature to those that sustain it.
He also called for greater engagement of youth, civil society, women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities, recognizing that environmental degradation often hits the most vulnerable hardest. The Secretary-General welcomed the Yerevan Declaration’s pledge to integrate biodiversity considerations into policies, budgets, and regulations. He emphasized that biodiversity cannot be separated from issues like conflict, food insecurity, disease, or climate change. The COP17 negotiations are set to begin in Yerevan on October 19.