COP17 Biodiversity: Global Agreement Seeks to Revive Nature Protection, but Is Deemed Insufficient

States meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, adopted two texts after two weeks of negotiations at COP17 on biological diversity, during the night of October 30–31, 2026. The first seeks to accelerate implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, whose 2030 targets—including protecting 30% of land and sea—are largely behind schedule. The second addresses funding for those goals, but how contributions should be shared among countries remains contentious. French minister Monique Barbut and environmental NGOs welcomed the agreement as a positive signal while saying it falls short of what is needed, including on harmful environmental subsidies.