Biodiversity goals off track before UN COP17 talks

The world is not on track to meet global biodiversity goals, UN biodiversity chief Astrid Schomaker warned on Aug. 13, weeks before countries meet for COP17 talks in Yerevan, Armenia.

Schomaker, executive secretary of the United Nations' Convention on Biological Diversity, said implementation is not happening at the pace and scale needed to reach the targets. The Convention said in a statement after preparatory talks in Nairobi that parties recognise the world is not on track.

Almost all countries agreed four years ago to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030 and for wealthier countries to provide poorer ones with $30 billion a year. Negotiators from 196 countries are due to review progress at COP17 in October.

The Convention said there had been promising efforts on conservation targets, but slower progress on raising resources, repurposing harmful subsidies and inclusive governance. It also said differences remain over how countries will increase their efforts, including discussions around the Cali Fund.

The Cali Fund, established at COP16 in Colombia, is intended to distribute a small share of profits made by companies in rich countries from plants and animals sourced from developing nations.

Almost all UN member states have signed up to the Convention on Biological Diversity, with the United States the most notable exception. The UN says the biodiversity crisis is driven by habitat destruction, over-exploitation of resources, climate change, pollution and invasive species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature says more than a quarter of all animals and plants are threatened with extinction.