YEREVAN, Armenia / AfricaWire.IO / – The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning on Friday, highlighting that more than one million species are at risk of extinction as human activities continue to devastate natural habitats. During the Leaders’ Summit in Yerevan, Armenia, on October 16, he emphasized the urgent need for global measures to combat environmental decline. This summit took place ahead of the 17th UN Biodiversity Conference, COP17, hosted by Armenia from October 19 to 30. Guterres stressed that such destruction jeopardizes the future existence of life on Earth.
He urged governments to increase investments in solutions that protect ecosystems and called for greater involvement from businesses and local communities. Guterres identified climate disruption, overgrazing, and the excessive application of fertilisers and pesticides as principal causes of the triple planetary crisis. The combined effects of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change are pushing the planet toward becoming increasingly uninhabitable, he warned. Nonetheless, he affirmed that this future is not predetermined.
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 established national biodiversity targets, with over half creating national road maps. He described the Yerevan gathering as a vital moment for accountability at the midpoint of these efforts.
$30 spent on harm for every $1 on nature
Guterres highlighted a significant imbalance in global spending on nature. For every dollar dedicated to protecting the environment, $30 are allocated to activities that harm it. In 2023, approximately $7.3 trillion flowed into industries detrimental to nature, such as heavy industry, destructive agriculture, and fossil fuels. He called on governments to permanently eliminate such subsidies. Additionally, Guterres pointed to the Cali Fund, which encourages companies benefiting from nature to contribute financially.
The UN Secretary-General emphasized that achieving biodiversity, climate, and land restoration objectives will require an annual investment of $571 billion in nature-based solutions by 2030. This amount is roughly 0.5% of the world’s gross domestic product. Despite this, biodiversity financing remains below half of the $200 billion annual target set under the framework. Guterres pointed out that debt burdens, constrained budgets, and an inequitable international financial system hinder developing countries’ capacity to invest in nature.
Current commitments only safeguard 26% of land
Existing pledges fall short of the 30% conservation goal. If nations fulfill their current commitments, only 26% of terrestrial ecosystems and 12% of marine ecosystems will be protected by 2030. Since 2022, formal protections have expanded to include an additional 1.3 million square kilometers of land and 6 million square kilometers of ocean. Guterres urged countries to shift from policies that destroy nature to those that sustain it.
He also called for broader engagement from youth, civil society, women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities, emphasizing that environmental degradation often impacts the most vulnerable populations hardest. The Secretary-General welcomed the Yerevan Declaration’s pledge to incorporate biodiversity into policies, budgets, and regulations. Guterres stressed that biodiversity is intertwined with issues like conflict, food insecurity, disease, and climate change. The COP17 negotiations commence in Yerevan on October 19.