Global Nature Talks Conclude with Agreement, but Funding Gaps Remain

Delegates from nearly 200 countries reached an agreement on key components of a new global action plan for nature in Yerevan, Armenia, concluding nearly two weeks of negotiations.

The deal comes four years after nations committed to a landmark agreement aiming to "halt and reverse" the decline of nature. The 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework included 24 targets, such as protecting 30% of the world's land and seas by 2030. However, current projections indicate that the world is on track to meet only one of these targets, according to the UN.

Representatives acknowledged they are falling behind on these goals. "While not particularly exciting or detailed, it's good news that countries could reach agreement," said Catherine Weller of Fauna & Flora. She emphasized the urgency, stating, "We cannot just plod on to 2030 without a course correction; nature is critical to all life on Earth: to our economies, to our wellbeing."

Species are currently becoming extinct at a rate 100 times higher than natural levels due to human activities, contributing to a sixth mass extinction event. "We are still seeing an appalling loss, threatening the collapse of ecosystems globally," commented Craig Bennett, CEO of The Wildlife Trusts. "We run out of words really about how serious this is."

Despite the dire situation, there are examples of progress. Countries have placed 623 million acres (252 million hectares) of degraded land into protection, an area larger than Greenland. Conservation efforts have also seen the recovery of key species, including elephants, green sea turtles, and tigers.

Financial Hurdles Persist

A primary barrier to accelerating conservation efforts identified in the agreement is funding. In 2022, nations pledged to contribute $30 billion towards nature recovery by 2030, with an additional $170 billion to be mobilized from private sources. However, many countries have since redirected international aid to defense budgets and energy security, hindering progress on these financial commitments.

During the recent talks, over $1 billion was pledged, with half coming from philanthropists. Progress was also made on reducing subsidies for environmentally harmful industries, such as large-scale fishing. "Right now, we have the situation where governments are paying twice," said Anna Ducros, a researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development. "So they know that they need to increase spending on nature and climate, but at the same time, they're damaging nature."

A dedicated funding mechanism, the Cali Fund, intended for private companies to contribute based on their use of genetic material from the environment, saw minimal pledges, raising only $10,000 against an estimated potential of $3.6 billion annually. The voluntary nature of this fund makes it difficult to compel contributions.

Challenges to Scientific Reporting

Disagreements arose regarding the approval of scientific reports on the state of nature, with reports indicating that countries including Saudi Arabia and Russia obstructed the process. "The attacks on science have bothered me a lot," stated French Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut.

This situation mirrors recent challenges faced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which also encountered difficulties in approving its scientific reports and securing funding. "This is such a blatant political move...and the IPCC is no such place for such political manoeuvring since the outputs are in humanity's interest," commented Prof David Lee, from Manchester University.