After greater than two weeks of negotiations, Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have adopted a collection of choices and frameworks geared toward addressing international biodiversity loss, together with the adoption of the Yerevan Pathway.
The Yerevan Pathway was adopted on the closing plenary on Saturday, 31 October, following negotiations that had been scheduled to end on Friday however prolonged by an extra 24 hours.
The adoption adopted weeks of intensive deliberations amongst Parties on a broad vary of points, together with benefit-sharing, biodiversity financing, dangerous subsidies, Indigenous Peoples’ rights and marine conservation.
In an announcement saying the conclusion of the convention, the CBD Secretariat stated the 2026 UN Biodiversity Conference had adopted a spread of choices advancing the Convention’s work throughout scientific, technical and implementation-related areas.
“One major outcome was the Yerevan Pathway, a negotiated response to the first review of collective progress in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF),” the Secretariat stated.
The convention, which started on 19 October, comprised the seventeenth Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP17), alongside conferences of Parties to its Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing.
The international assessment undertaken at COP17 was a stocktaking train primarily based on proof offered within the State of Biodiversity Action report, launched shortly earlier than the convention.
The report discovered that the world stays off observe to fulfill the Framework’s 23 targets by their 2030 deadline, highlighting the pressing want for governments to speed up implementation.
Negotiations had been additionally marked by disagreements over a number of contentious points, with Russia repeatedly accused by observers and different delegations of making an attempt to dam or weaken proposed language on Indigenous rights, biodiversity conservation on the excessive seas and dangerous subsidies.
The disagreements contributed to tensions amongst negotiating blocs, with some delegations expressing frustration over efforts to dilute proposed commitments.
According to the UN, the Yerevan Pathway establishes a shared response to the findings of the worldwide assessment, figuring out priorities for motion by 2030 and areas the place progress have to be accelerated.
These embody eliminating nature-harmful subsidies and incentives, growing monetary, scientific and technical help for creating nations, aligning nationwide budgets and financial choices with the KMGBF, and strengthening implementation, monitoring, reporting and assessment mechanisms.
The convention additionally introduced collectively negotiated choices, new monetary commitments and initiatives geared toward eradicating obstacles to implementation, mobilising sources to slender the biodiversity financing hole and strengthening the circumstances wanted to translate international commitments into motion.
“Over these two weeks we have demonstrated that differences can be bridged, commitments can become decisions and cooperation can deliver,” stated COP17 President, Hambardzum Matevosyan.
“With the adoption of the Yerevan Pathway, we demonstrate our collective determination to respond to one of the most urgent challenges of our time. It sets out priorities for collective action, from implementing national plans and mobilising financial resources to strengthening science, monitoring and the participation of all sectors of society,” he stated.
Alongside the Yerevan Pathway, Parties adopted choices on a number of scientific and technical points, together with protected areas and forest biodiversity, sustainable wildlife administration, invasive alien species, threat evaluation of residing modified organisms, marine and coastal biodiversity, artificial biology and biodiversity mainstreaming.
CBD Executive Secretary, Astrid Schomaker, stated the following 4 years could be important to accelerating implementation of the worldwide biodiversity framework.
“The next four years must bring acceleration and alignment with what we agreed when we adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” she stated.
“We know what wants to alter. We can’t shield nature whereas persevering with to finance its destruction. Resources should attain the nations and communities that want them. And biodiversity should turn into a part of on a regular basis financial choices.
“Ultimately, the test is not what governments agreed in Yerevan, but what they change when they return home.”
Financing gaps, dangerous incentives, restricted entry to expertise, knowledge and data, and inadequate engagement throughout authorities and society stay main obstacles to implementing the worldwide framework.
Key outcomes adopted by Parties
The convention produced a number of choices, monetary commitments and initiatives geared toward addressing these obstacles, together with a renewed emphasis on biodiversity schooling.
One vital final result was the settlement on the foundations of operation for the brand new everlasting subsidiary physique on Article 8(j), formally named the Sevan Guidelines.
The resolution marks a step in direction of strengthening the participation and function of Indigenous Peoples and native communities in shaping international biodiversity insurance policies and actions.
On financing, bulletins throughout the convention included practically $2 billion in new biodiversity-related funding commitments.
These included $560 million beneath the GEF-9 replenishment and its Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, $500 million by the Species Recovery Alliance and greater than $330 million by the Value Nature Fund, an initiative geared toward mobilising personal capital for nature.
Other initiatives included a Presidency-led effort to reform dangerous incentives, a brand new biodiversity bond and funding incubator launched by the Asian Development Bank, and a proposed mannequin framework legislation on forests to strengthen environmental enforcement.
The convention additionally launched new State of Nature Indicators and Metrics to enhance biodiversity monitoring and accountability.
Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Inger Andersen, stated the convention had helped advance efforts to translate the worldwide biodiversity framework into sensible motion.
“The world has already agreed a global plan to safeguard nature,” she stated.
“This COP was about accelerating implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and turning these targets into decisive, real-world motion.
“In Yerevan, we saw environmental multilateralism prevail once again. Countries came together, found the spirit of compromise and allowed us to agree important decisions that will support real progress for people and for planet.”
With 4 years remaining to attain the world’s 23 biodiversity targets, consideration now turns to implementing the selections and commitments reached in Yerevan.
The Yerevan Pathway is predicted to information nationwide efforts by 2030, with progress assessed by modifications in insurance policies, the supply of sources and measurable enhancements for nature and other people.
The subsequent Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP18) is scheduled to be held in Ecuador in 2028.
Mixed reactions path CBD COP17 choices
Despite the adoption of the Yerevan Pathway and different choices, the outcomes have attracted criticism from conservation teams, which say the negotiations fell in need of the ambition required to handle the worldwide biodiversity disaster.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) stated COP17 offered a clearer image of the worldwide biodiversity disaster and the gaps that have to be addressed to attain the world’s 2030 targets.
However, it argued that the Yerevan Pathway and different convention outcomes didn’t ship the stronger degree of ambition wanted to place the world on observe.
Vice President for International Policy at WCS, Susan Lieberman, described the convention as properly organised however criticised the negotiations for producing what she thought of weak outcomes.
“COP17 was well organised by the Government of Armenia and provided a great platform for sharing, networking, and learning,” she stated.
“But the negotiations themselves ended up weak on ambition. We are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, and timidity will not save nature – we need strong outcomes for wildlife and wild places, not only outputs and great speeches.”
Ms Lieberman stated the convention ought to have marked a turning level by securing stronger political commitments and financing to reverse biodiversity loss.
“Success required governments to commit the political will and financing wanted to reverse biodiversity loss. That means defending and restoring ecological integrity, respecting the rights and management of Indigenous Peoples and native communities, and lowering the drivers of decline.
“With just four years until 2030, we cannot afford another conference that diagnoses the crisis without accelerating the cure,” she stated.
She, nonetheless, acknowledged the significance of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, describing it as an important and bold international settlement.
“If all of the targets are delivered, as governments committed, then nature will indeed be on the path to recovery. COP17 has clarified the challenge; now governments must summon the political will, resources and resolve to meet it,” she stated.
WCS Director of International Policy, Alfred DeGemmis, additionally criticised the negotiations, describing the convention as a setback following years of optimism surrounding international biodiversity targets.
“This year’s UN biodiversity summit was the crash after several years of sugar-rushed optimism about global biodiversity targets. The obstructionist politics of the climate talks have entered the biodiversity negotiations, and identifying transformative actions will require ambitious leaders willing to spend political capital,” he stated.
WCS evaluation of key COP17 outcomes
In its evaluation of the convention, WCS stated the Yerevan Pathway offered a chance to handle gaps within the implementation of the worldwide biodiversity framework however questioned whether or not the adopted textual content contained sufficiently sensible measures.
The organisation famous that the ultimate resolution largely relied on beforehand agreed language and remained imprecise on sensible steps to shut the implementation hole.
It, nonetheless, welcomed the inclusion of provisions on ecosystem monitoring and subsidy reform, describing each as important to reversing biodiversity loss.
On the 30×30 goal, which seeks to preserve at the very least 30 per cent of the world’s land and sea by 2030, WCS stated nations had been making gradual progress on terrestrial conservation and vital progress in coastal waters.
However, it confused that the last word goal should transcend growing the protection of protected areas to making sure that they’re successfully and equitably managed and ship measurable biodiversity outcomes.
The organisation additionally welcomed the launch of the Yerevan Global OECM Action Hub, describing it as a optimistic step in direction of advancing different efficient area-based conservation measures (OECMs).
It stated the initiative should contribute to significant progress in direction of the 30×30 goal alongside the growth of protected areas.
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On local weather and biodiversity, WCS expressed disappointment that COP17 didn’t safe stronger measures to handle the interconnected crises.
The organisation had sought stronger cooperation among the many Rio Conventions and a roadmap to assist nations coordinate implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement.
Although high-level occasions involving the presidencies of CBD COP16, UNCCD COP16 and UNFCCC COP31 highlighted the urgency of built-in motion, WCS stated the formal outcomes remained inadequate.
It notably criticised the choice to encourage nations to start making use of voluntary pointers on local weather and biodiversity synergies, which is able to bear additional negotiations earlier than COP18.
Describing the strategy as “kicking the can down the road”, WCS stated it fell in need of what was required, notably as local weather change continues to threaten biodiversity and ecosystem degradation contributes to emissions whereas weakening the capability of individuals and nature to adapt.
The first international assessment of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework had already highlighted the dimensions of the problem. Although nations have made progress in creating nationwide biodiversity targets and methods, fewer than half of nationwide targets are on observe.
Current commitments additionally stay inadequate to attain the 30×30 goal, whereas financing, capability and knowledge gaps proceed to impede implementation.
The assessment has due to this fact offered a foundation for governments to reassess their commitments and speed up motion.
The problem now could be whether or not nations will translate the selections and commitments made in Yerevan into concrete coverage modifications, ample financing and measurable enhancements in biodiversity conservation earlier than the 2030 deadline.
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