Published on: 2026-10-22
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 16, 2026 Climate and Environment
The UN Secretary-General on Friday called on governments, businesses, and civil society to step up efforts to protect biodiversity for future generations.
On the eve of the opening of the 17th UN Conference on Biodiversity (COP-17), which will take place next week.
“The food we eat, the water we drink, the very air we breathe – all of these are gifts of biodiversity,” he said at the leaders’ summit preceding the conference. “And yet every day humanity saws off another branch from the tree of life.”
Threat of extinction
The UN chief noted that factors such as climate shocks, overgrazing, as well as excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, “lead to a triple planetary crisis: environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate chaos.”
As a result, more than a million species are at risk of extinction, and our world may become “uninhabitable.”
“It can still be fixed,” the Secretary-General said.
Lack of funding
According to Guterres, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted four years ago, has given a powerful impetus to actions worldwide.
Almost 90 percent of the parties to the agreement have established national targets in this area, and more than half have developed national roadmaps. Since 2022, 1.3 million square kilometers of land and 6 million square kilometers of ocean have come under official protection.
Nevertheless, he emphasized, “progress is uneven and catastrophically slow.” Even if countries fulfill their current commitments, by 2030 only 26 percent of terrestrial and 12 percent of marine ecosystems will be protected, which is “far from” the Kunming-Montreal program’s goal of designating 30 percent of land and oceans as protected areas (“30 by 30”).
© UNDP India Since 2022, 1.3 million square kilometers of ocean have come under official protection.
He also pointed out “serious gaps” in national plans concerning economic systems, including commitments to reduce subsidies that harm nature. Financing for biodiversity conservation measures currently amounts to less than half of the $200 billion agreed upon under the program, he noted.
He emphasized that biodiversity issues cannot be considered in isolation from conflicts, food security, the threat of epidemics, or climate change.
“Solving any of these problems requires a comprehensive approach,” he said. “Time does not wait.”
Decisive action is needed from governments
The Secretary-General first and foremost called for decisive action from governments, urging states to fulfill the “30 by 30” goal and “move away from policies that destroy nature in favor of practices that conserve it”.
Among the priorities are zero-waste production and circular economy, sustainable agriculture and regenerative farming, enhanced monitoring and transparency in environmental protection, as well as stricter enforcement of existing laws.
He welcomed the Yerevan Declaration on preserving life on Earth, adopted at the leaders’ summit, and its provisions on integrating biodiversity issues into government policy, regulatory framework, and budgets.
Redirecting funds to nature conservation
The Secretary-General noted that for every dollar invested in nature conservation, 30 dollars are directed toward activities that harm it.
“In 2023, $7.3 trillion was invested in industries destructive to nature,” he said, mentioning heavy industry, agribusiness, and fossil fuel extraction.
“I urge governments around the world to put an end once and for all to this practice of budget bailouts and instead direct the saved funds towards the benefit of people and the planet,” said Guterres.
The Secretary-General noted that to achieve global biodiversity conservation goals, as well as climate change mitigation and land restoration, annual investments in nature-based solutions need to reach $571 billion by 2030 – approximately 0.5 percent of global GDP.
Participation of society and the private sector
“However, governments will not be able to handle this alone,” he said, urging the private sector to become more actively involved. He reminded about the “Kali Fund” established with UN support as a mechanism through which companies benefiting from natural resources can help finance its protection.
Guterres also noted the rapid growth of renewable energy. The cost of solar energy has dropped by nearly 90 percent since 2010, and investments in clean energy now almost double those in fossil fuels. Moreover, last year renewable energy sources prevented emissions equivalent to the combined emissions of the United States, the European Union, and Japan.
The Secretary-General also stated the need for broad participation in biodiversity protection efforts by all segments of society, especially youth, the civil sector, women, indigenous peoples, and local communities.
“The deterioration of the environment hits the most vulnerable layers of the population the hardest — people who are least responsible for this problem. But solutions often emerge precisely from these circles,” he emphasized.
Also read:
INTERVIEW | UN Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan: how to achieve global nature protection goals
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