Countries agree nature action plan as biodiversity finance dispute persists

Overview

Updated 58 minutes ago

Countries at the UN biodiversity summit in Yerevan agreed early Saturday to a package meant to speed up action toward 2030 nature targets. The deal acknowledges that most of the 24 goals set in 2022 are off track. It leaves the hardest question, who pays, largely unresolved.

The 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework committed countries to protect 30% of land and seas by 2030. Current protection stands at about 19% of land and inland waters and 10% of oceans. New funding announced at the summit topped $1.8 billion, against an estimated $700 billion annual shortfall.

Why it matters

If funding stays flat, the 2030 goal to protect 30% of land and sea will miss, leaving ecosystems and economies exposed.

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Key Indicators

1 of 24

Global Biodiversity Framework targets on track

The UN says only one of the framework's 24 targets is on track.

19%

Land and inland waters protected

About 19% of land and inland waters are currently protected, below the 30% goal.

10%

Oceans protected

About 10% of oceans are protected, far below the 30% goal.

$200B

Annual biodiversity finance needed by 2030

Governments agreed in 2025 to mobilise at least $200 billion a year by 2030.

$700B

Estimated annual biodiversity finance shortfall

The current annual gap for nature funding is estimated at around $700 billion.

$1.8B

New funding announced at COP17

The Convention on Biological Diversity secretariat counted more than $1.8 billion in new funding during the summit.

2.52 million sq km

Degraded land put into protection

Countries have put 252 million hectares of degraded land into protection, an area larger than Greenland.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Hambardzum Matevosyan

COP17 meeting president

Chaired the final plenary that approved key parts of the package

Catherine Weller

Representative, Fauna & Flora

Welcomed the agreement but warned countries cannot delay action

Craig Bennett

Chief executive, The Wildlife Trusts

Said ecosystems still face appalling loss despite the deal

Anna Ducros

Researcher, International Institute for Environment and Development

Flagged harmful subsidies as an unresolved barrier

Guido Broekhoven

Policy representative, WWF International

Called the deal a step forward but weak on harmful subsidies

Organizations Involved

COP17 UN Biodiversity Summit

UN conference

Adopted key parts of an action plan; finance disputes remain

The 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity met in Yerevan, Armenia.

WWF International

Conservation organization

Said the deal is a step forward but weak on subsidies

WWF International is a global conservation group active in biodiversity negotiations.

The Wildlife Trusts

Conservation organization

Warned that biodiversity loss still threatens ecosystems

The Wildlife Trusts is a UK conservation group focused on restoring nature.

Fauna & Flora

Conservation charity

Welcomed the agreement but said it lacks detail

Fauna & Flora is an international conservation charity working on biodiversity protection.

International Institute for Environment and Development

Research institute

Highlighted harmful subsidies as an unresolved issue

The International Institute for Environment and Development is a policy research group.

Timeline

December 2022 October 2026

6 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

October 2026
COP17 agrees action plan, finance unresolved
Latest Agreement

Countries approve key parts of the package after talks run past deadline; funding disputes remain.
Yesterday
UNEP reports uneven restoration progress
Report

Land restoration reaches nearly half of target; freshwater restoration is at 5%.
2 days ago
Finance talks stall over donor base
Negotiation

An EU proposal to add China and Gulf states as contributors meets resistance.
3 days ago
Leaders adopt Yerevan Declaration
Statement

Governments reaffirm the 2030 nature goals ahead of COP17.
October 16th, 2026
UN report finds most biodiversity targets off track
Report

The first global assessment says fewer than half of assessed national targets are on track.
October 15th, 2026
December 2022
Countries adopt Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15
Treaty

The Kunming-Montreal framework sets 24 targets, including protecting 30% of land and seas by 2030.
December 19th, 2022

Scenarios

Cali Fund stays below $100 million in pledges through 2027

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: UN officials and environmental groups, including The Wildlife Trusts' Craig Bennett

The Cali Fund was meant to capture corporate payments for genetic data, with estimates of up to $3.6 billion a year. At COP17 it had about $10,000. If contributions remain voluntary, companies face little pressure to pay.

EU proposal adds China or Gulf states to biodiversity donor group

Possible Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: European Union negotiators and Climate Home News

The EU has argued that wealthy emerging economies should join the group of mostly Western nations expected to provide biodiversity finance. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have reportedly opposed the idea. A compromise could invite countries to join voluntarily.

Countries miss the 2030 target to protect 30% of land and sea

Likely Resolves by End of 2030

Discussed by: UN assessment reports and conservation groups

The 30x30 goal is the headline target of the 2022 framework. Current coverage is about 19% of land and inland waters and 10% of oceans. Funding gaps and slow national action make the target hard to reach.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2010-2020

Aichi Biodiversity Targets (2010-2020)

At COP10 in Nagoya, Japan, governments adopted 20 targets to slow biodiversity loss by 2020. The targets covered protected areas, subsidies and finance, but were largely voluntary.

Then

Countries reported some progress on protected areas, but none of the 20 targets was fully met.

Now

The failure shaped the 2022 Kunming-Montreal framework, which added a 30x30 goal and a finance target.

Why this matters now

COP17 is the first major check on whether the new framework avoids the Aichi pattern.

2009-2020

Paris climate finance pledge (2009-2020)

Developed countries promised $100 billion a year by 2020 to help poorer nations cut emissions and adapt. The pledge was central to trust in the UN climate process.

Then

The target was missed in 2020 and reached later, eroding confidence among developing countries.

Now

Climate finance fights now shape biodiversity talks, where similar donor-base disputes have stalled COP17.

Why this matters now

The fight over who pays for biodiversity mirrors the earlier fight over climate finance.

1990

Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund (1990)

The Montreal Protocol created a fund to help developing countries phase out ozone-depleting chemicals. Rich countries paid, and poorer countries got technical support.

Then

The fund helped make the treaty close to universal and phase out most ozone-depleting substances.

Now

It became the template for environmental treaties that pair binding targets with dedicated finance.

Why this matters now

COP17's Cali Fund and donor-base fight show how hard that template is to replicate for biodiversity.