Biodiversity: Cautious Optimism Following Negotiations in Yerevan

Environmental organizations have expressed cautious optimism following the conclusion of the 17th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17), held in Yerevan, Armenia. Although the negotiations were marked by compromises and the scaling back of certain commitments, participants agreed on an action plan to accelerate the achievement of targets set for 2030, DPA reports.

• Action Plan for 2030 Targets

Approximately 200 member states of the Convention on Biological Diversity engaged in negotiations for nearly two weeks in the Armenian capital, beginning on October 19. The conference concluded on the final day of October-one day later than originally scheduled. Discussions focused on how countries can make progress toward biodiversity protection goals, despite the obstacles encountered. WWF Germany assessed the conference outcome as positive, notwithstanding the compromises made during the negotiations. "Overall, there is more reason for satisfaction than for criticism," stated Heike Vesper, a biologist and representative of the organization. According to this, the main outcome of the meeting is an agreement among states on an action plan designed to accelerate the implementation of biodiversity targets for 2030.

• The target of protecting 30% of land and marine areas

Four years ago, states agreed on 23 targets for the protection and restoration of biodiversity by 2030, as part of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

These commitments include protecting at least 30% of the world's land and marine areas. An interim report, published shortly before the conference, warned that achieving these targets requires a significant acceleration in the implementation of the measures pledged by states. Assessing progress and identifying solutions to intensify action were central themes of the negotiations in Yerevan.

• Greenpeace warns that the pace of measures is insufficient

Greenpeace noted that while the meeting established a roadmap for implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework, it failed to provide a response sufficiently ambitious to match the urgency highlighted by the interim report. Thus, although the agreement to accelerate implementation is a step forward, environmental organizations point to the gap between the pledged targets and the measures required to achieve them by 2030.