YEREVAN, Armenia / AfricaWire.IO / – More than one million species are in danger of extinction as humanity continues to harm the environment, warned United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday. During the Leaders’ Summit held in Yerevan, Armenia, on October 16, he emphasized the urgent need for global action to combat environmental decline. This summit took place just before the 17th UN Biodiversity Conference, COP17, hosted by Armenia from October 19 to 30. Guterres expressed concern that such destruction jeopardizes the future 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 use of fertilisers and pesticides as primary causes of the triple planetary crisis. Pollution, loss of biodiversity, and climate change are collectively pushing the planet toward becoming uninhabitable, he explained. However, he also stressed that this outcome 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 Earth’s land and sea by 2030. Since then, nearly 90% of parties have adopted national biodiversity targets, and more than half have developed national road maps. He described the Yerevan gathering as a crucial moment for accountability at the halfway point.
$30 spent on harm for every $1 on nature
Guterres highlighted a significant imbalance in global spending on nature. For each dollar invested in conservation, $30 is allocated to activities that damage ecosystems. In 2023 alone, $7.3 trillion has been invested in industries that harm nature, including heavy industry, destructive agribusiness, and fossil fuels. He called on governments to eliminate such subsidies permanently. Additionally, Guterres pointed to the Cali Fund, which encourages companies benefiting from nature to contribute financially.
The UN Secretary-General stated that achieving biodiversity, climate, and land restoration targets will require an annual investment of $571 billion in nature-based solutions by 2030. This amount represents about 0.5% of the world’s gross domestic product. Biodiversity financing remains below half of the $200 billion yearly target set under the framework. Guterres also pointed out that heavy debt burdens, limited budgets, and an unfair international financial system hinder developing countries’ capacity to invest in nature.
Current commitments only protect 26% of land
Existing pledges fall short of the 30% conservation goal. If nations fully meet their current commitments, only 26% of terrestrial ecosystems and 12% of marine ecosystems would 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 harm nature to those that sustain it.
He also called for broader engagement of young people, civil society, women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities, emphasizing that environmental decline disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable. The Secretary-General welcomed the Yerevan Declaration’s commitment to integrating biodiversity into policies, budgets, and regulations. He stressed that biodiversity is interconnected with conflict, food insecurity, disease, and climate change. The COP17 negotiations are scheduled to begin in Yerevan on October 19.