The world is waging a ‘war on nature’ as progress on biodiversity targets lags

Nature protection targets face a widening gap ahead of COP17

Provpnmatrix.com – Countries will arrive in Yerevan, Armenia, for the COP17 biodiversity conference facing a difficult reality: many of the commitments meant to protect ecosystems, wildlife and plant life are not moving fast enough.

A new United Nations assessment finds that fewer than half of national biodiversity targets are currently on course. The shortfall raises concern about whether the international community can meet the most important milestones set for 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Adopted in Montreal in 2022, the agreement established a long-term ambition for humanity to live in harmony with nature by 2050. Its near-term agenda calls for urgent changes this decade, recognizing that healthy ecosystems support food systems, clean water, livelihoods, climate resilience and public wellbeing.

Biodiversity underpins life on Earth. Safeguarding biological diversity is essential to the health of our planet, the resilience of our economies and the wellbeing of all people.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres used those words in the report to emphasize that biodiversity policy is not separate from economic or social policy. The condition of forests, wetlands, seas, soils and other natural systems affects communities and economies in direct, practical ways.

The 30 per cent protection goal remains out of reach

One of the framework’s central commitments is commonly known as the “30 by 30” target: by 2030, at least 30 per cent of land, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans should be effectively protected.

Current pledges, even if delivered in full, would not achieve that level of coverage. The assessment projects protection for 26 per cent of land by the deadline, while only 12 per cent of the ocean would be covered. That leaves a substantial distance between announced commitments and the target governments agreed to pursue.

The figures also underline that designation alone is not the full challenge. Progress depends on practical implementation, sustained management and coordination across borders and sectors. Nature protection must be reflected in the decisions that shape land use, infrastructure, finance, industry and public spending.

This bad news means that the war on nature has not yet ended.

Speaking at the report’s launch in Yerevan, Mr. Guterres said the world remains trapped in three connected emergencies: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Each crisis can intensify the others. Environmental damage weakens ecosystems’ ability to cope with changing conditions, while pollution and climate pressures add to the strain on species and habitats.

Plans are expanding, but delivery needs to accelerate

There are signs of broad engagement with the global framework. Nearly 90 per cent of parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity have set national targets. More than half have prepared national plans intended to turn those targets into action, and over 70 per cent have measured and reported their results.

Those steps provide a foundation for accountability, but the UN assessment identifies a serious divide between ambition and delivery. Progress is lagging not only in protected areas, but also in finance, technical capacity, data, international cooperation and incentives that should favor conservation instead of environmental harm.

The response has extended beyond national governments. Indigenous Peoples, local communities, city and regional authorities, charities and businesses have made about 5,000 commitments. Their participation matters because biodiversity action is carried out in landscapes, waters and communities, not only in international meetings. Yet promises from many actors still need to be translated into measurable outcomes.

For readers, the issue can seem distant when it is discussed through global targets and conference negotiations. But the stakes are close to daily life. Biodiversity includes the web of species and ecosystems that helps sustain agriculture, fisheries, water cycles and natural protection from environmental shocks. When that web is weakened, the effects can reach food production, local economies and community resilience.

Finance and fair cooperation are central to the next phase

The report calls for significantly greater financial support and expertise for developing countries. Closing the implementation gap will require resources on a much larger scale, particularly where countries face competing development needs and limited capacity to carry out monitoring, restoration and conservation programmes.

Governments are also urged to eliminate subsidies that damage nature, expand social protection, redirect public expenditure toward biodiversity protection and work with companies on robust disclosure requirements. These steps would help shift the economic signals that often reward activities that degrade ecosystems.

Stronger cooperation is another priority. Governments, businesses, civil society groups, young people, women and Indigenous Peoples all need a more meaningful role in systems for accountability, enforcement and collaboration. Effective biodiversity action requires both high-level commitments and participation from those affected by decisions on land, water and resources.

Biodiversity must be part of every decision being made – across policies, regulations and budgets.

That message from Mr. Guterres frames the challenge for COP17. The conference in Yerevan will test whether governments can strengthen implementation before the 2030 deadline moves closer. The framework already sets out a shared direction; the pressing task is to turn targets, plans and commitments into action at a scale that matches the urgency of the environmental crisis.