From biodiversity financing and harmful subsidy reform to Indigenous rights and scientific accountability, COP17’s agreements expose the challenge of turning global commitments into action, The Climate Watch reports.
Nearly 200 countries reached hard-fought agreements at the UN biodiversity summit in Armenia on Saturday after marathon negotiations, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough in efforts to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, even as divisions over conservation finance, harmful subsidies and scientific evidence persisted.
Delegates erupted in applause as COP17 President Hambardzum Matevosyan, Armenia’s Environment Minister, brought down the gavel on crucial decisions concerning the first global review of biodiversity progress and resource mobilisation.
“And that’s it. Perfect,” Matevosyan declared, bringing relief to exhausted negotiators following two weeks of difficult talks.
Around 70 ministers joined the final week’s negotiations to help resolve outstanding disagreements.
The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity began on October 19 and was scheduled to conclude on Friday, October 30, but proceedings continued into Saturday.
The outcome renews momentum for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022 with 23 targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. With four years remaining, governments face growing pressure to turn international commitments into measurable action.
COP18 at Ecuadorian capital, Quito will provide another major opportunity to assess whether governments have translated their commitments into measurable conservation outcomes before the 2030 deadline. Ecuador was selected on Saturday to host the next UN biodiversity summit, COP18, in 2028, narrowly defeating Panama. They secured 55 votes against Panama City’s 53.
