Countries have agreed a new roadmap to accelerate global action on biodiversity after the UN Biodiversity Conference, COP17, concluded in Yerevan, Armenia. The agreement, known as the Yerevan Pathway, is intended to help governments advance the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The framework contains 23 targets for protecting and restoring nature by 2030. The latest global review found that progress remains insufficient, leaving governments with only four years to turn commitments into measurable results.

The Yerevan Pathway calls for harmful subsidies to be addressed and for greater financial, scientific and technical support to reach developing countries. It also urges governments to align national budgets and economic decisions with biodiversity objectives.

Delegates adopted nearly 50 decisions covering issues such as protected areas, forests, wildlife management, invasive alien species, marine and coastal ecosystems and synthetic biology. The breadth of the decisions reflects the growing recognition that biodiversity loss affects economies, food systems and human well-being.

Negotiators also agreed the Sevan Guidelines, which establish operating arrangements for a permanent body intended to strengthen the role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in global biodiversity policy. Their participation is widely regarded as important because many communities are directly involved in conserving ecosystems and natural resources.

New funding announcements at the conference amounted to nearly two billion US dollars, including contributions through the Global Environment Facility and other initiatives. Additional mechanisms were presented to encourage private investment and improve biodiversity monitoring.

Despite the announcements, the scale of the financing challenge remains substantial. Governments will need to ensure that pledged resources are delivered, reach the countries and communities most in need, and support projects with clear conservation outcomes.

The next biodiversity conference is scheduled to take place in Ecuador. The practical test of COP17 will be whether governments translate the Yerevan decisions into stronger national policies, protected ecosystems and transparent reporting before the 2030 deadline.

Source: UN News Centre report carried by Islands Business, November 2, 2026.