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COP17 biodiversity report: fewer than half of national nature targets on track, Guterres warns

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Days before the COP17 biodiversity conference in Yerevan, Armenia, a new UN report says fewer than half of the national targets set to protect the world’s plants, animals and ecosystems are on track. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the report in Yerevan on 15 October 2026 and said the ‘war on nature has not yet ended’.

COP17: A farmer grows tomatoes on a floating plantation on Inle Lake, Myanmar (file)
A farmer grows tomatoes on a floating plantation on Inle Lake, Myanmar (file) Photo: UNDP Myanmar via UN News (editorial use with credit).

COP17 report on the 30 by 30 goal

The 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework set a vision of ‘living in harmony with nature’ by 2050, with urgent action needed by 2030. One of its main goals is to protect at least 30 per cent of the world’s land, inland waters, coasts and oceans by 2030. The report finds that even if current pledges are met, only 26 per cent of land and 12 per cent of the ocean would be protected by that date. Progress is also lagging on money, skills, cooperation, data and economic incentives that reward protecting nature, according to UN News. Climate Home News reported the same figures. The report, called the State of Biodiversity Action, was put together by technical experts for the Convention on Biological Diversity. Climate Home News said COP17 starts on Monday in Yerevan, and that governments will for the first time take stock of progress on the framework’s 23 targets.

Key Facts

  • Report launched: Yerevan, 15 Oct 2026
  • National targets on track: fewer than half
  • Protection by 2030 on current pledges: 26% of land, 12% of ocean
  • Goal: 30% by 2030
  • Commitments by non-state groups: about 5,000

“Nature won't thrive on good intentions.”

— Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General

Where biodiversity targets have moved

There has been some progress since 2022. Nearly 90 per cent of the countries that are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity have set national targets, and more than half have made plans to meet them. More than 70 per cent have measured and reported their results. Indigenous Peoples, local communities, cities, charities and businesses have made about 5,000 commitments, but the report warns of a serious gap between ambition and action. Guterres said the world is still caught in three linked crises: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. ‘Biodiversity underpins life on Earth,’ he wrote in the report.

What the UN wants countries to do in Yerevan

Closing the gap will need far more money and expertise for developing countries, the report says. Governments should scrap subsidies that harm nature, strengthen social protection, move spending towards protecting nature and work with businesses on strong disclosure rules. It calls for better coordination with civil society, young people, women and Indigenous Peoples on accountability and enforcement. ‘Biodiversity must be part of every decision being made, across policies, regulations and budgets,’ Guterres said at the launch, which NEWS.am also covered from Yerevan. ‘Nature won’t thrive on good intentions.’ UN Environment chief Inger Andersen said the report ‘sets the tone for the focus, ambition and urgent action we need to deliver’ in Armenia, Climate Home News reported.

Why It Matters: The gap between the 30 per cent goal and current pledges will shape what countries are pushed to promise at COP17.

Also on TrendDesh: Disaster housing losses hit $228 billion a year, UN says on Disaster Risk Reduction Day · Himalayan ecosystem is a national responsibility, says Jitendra Singh at Srinagar mountain summit

Source: UN News · Climate Home News · NEWS.am

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