Fewer than half of national biodiversity targets on track
A new international report warns that countries are failing to implement their biodiversity commitments adequately.
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Fewer than half of the national targets to halt biodiversity loss are on track. That is according to a global progress report published shortly before the COP17 biodiversity summit in Armenia.
The report by the secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity maps out globally for the first time how countries are progressing with implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Framework. According to the secretariat, the agreement contains targets for 2030, including protecting and restoring nature and reducing harmful subsidies.
According to the analysis, fewer than half of the national biodiversity targets are sufficiently on track. The targets differ from country to country and are not all measurable in the same way. The report should therefore primarily be read as an assessment of collective progress, rather than as an exact ranking of countries.
The protection targets are also falling short of international ambitions. The Associated Press reported, based on the report, that current commitments towards 2030 amount to protecting about 26 per cent of the land area and 12 per cent of the sea. According to the report, the global agreement aims to protect 30 per cent of land and sea.
Funding is a major point of contention. According to AP, the amount secured for protecting forests, oceans and other natural areas remains below what is considered necessary. Countries with high biodiversity but limited financial resources in particular are calling for more support and technical assistance.
The summit in Yerevan begins on Monday and is due to discuss the first global assessment of the framework. The report could therefore influence negotiations on funding, reporting and how countries tighten their targets.
The figures do not mean that nature restoration is failing everywhere. At COP17, countries can discuss how to improve implementation and funding for their biodiversity targets.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The biodiversity secretariat published a global progress assessment for the Kunming-Montreal Framework.
- According to the assessment, fewer than half of the national targets are on track.
- Current commitments fall short of the international ambition to protect 30 per cent of land and sea.
- COP17 will discuss progress from 19 October in Yerevan.
Left
Arguments From a left-wing perspective, the progress shows that voluntary commitments are insufficient. Governments should phase out harmful subsidies more quickly, provide stronger legal protection for nature, and wealthy countries should provide more financial support to countries with extensive natural areas.
Values Environmental justice, international solidarity and the protection of public goods.
Consequences Without stronger policies, ecosystems risk further decline; stricter rules could create short-term costs for agriculture, industry and infrastructure.
Centre
Arguments The institutional approach emphasises measurable targets, reliable reporting and feasible implementation. Countries should improve their plans, while also taking account of differences in economies, land use and administrative capacity.
Values Feasibility, international cooperation and verifiable commitments.
Consequences A phased approach could build support, but there is a risk that negotiations and new reporting requirements will delay implementation.
Right
Arguments This perspective warns against international targets that constrain national choices too heavily. Nature protection is important, but according to this approach policy must take account of food production, energy supply, property rights and affordability.
Values National control, economic continuity and proportionality.
Consequences A more cautious approach could limit economic damage and implementation burdens, but it could also mean that global nature targets are not met.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The core claims are supported by the official progress report and an independent AP publication. Interpretations about possible consequences for the summit are phrased as expectations.
- confirmed Fewer than half of the national biodiversity targets are on track. — Reported by AP on the basis of the global progress report. source
- confirmed Current commitments will protect about 26 per cent of land and 12 per cent of the sea by 2030. — These percentages are attributed to the report by AP. source
- confirmed COP17 begins in Yerevan on 19 October 2026. — The official secretariat lists the summit as taking place from 19 to 30 October. source
- confirmed Funding for biodiversity protection is falling short of need. — AP describes the funding shortfall as a central subject of the summit. source
Editor's note
The report figures and the start of COP17 have been confirmed by AP and the official biodiversity secretariat. Precise comparisons between national targets remain limited because countries use different indicators.Sources
- Fundraising to protect oceans, forests and other key nature sites falling short ahead of UN summit — Associated Press
- UN Secretary-General launches first global assessment of progress under world’s landmark biodiversity agreement — Convention on Biological Diversity
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „biodiversiteit natuurbeleid”
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- RTL Nieuws — „biodiversiteit natuurbeleid”