Biodiversity: Faster to protect species? World Nature Conference ends

The international community negotiated at the World Nature Conference until the morning. Environmentalists see positive signals in their outcome - but not only.

Yerevan. After the 17th UN Conference on Biological Diversity (COP17), environmentalists are cautious, but also see positive things. Almost 200 member states of the Convention on Biological Diversity have been negotiating in the Armenian capital Yerevan for almost two weeks since October 19th - a total day longer than planned. The focus was on how self-imposed goals for protecting biodiversity can be achieved despite setbacks.

The conference was characterized by compromises and weakening, but delivered a positive result, said the nature conservation organization WWF Germany. There is “overall more tricks than treats,” said Heike Vesper, head of political and economic transformation at WWF Germany. “The most important result that WWF welcomes is that the states have agreed on an action plan to accelerate the implementation of the goals they have set themselves by 2030.”

There are 23 biodiversity goals

Four years ago, the states agreed in the World Nature Treaty on 23 goals for protecting and restoring biodiversity, which they want to achieve by 2030. Among other things, at least 30 percent of the world's land and sea areas should be protected.

An interim report published shortly before the conference showed that the goals cannot be achieved without more speed in implementation. Taking stock and ways to achieve faster implementation were the focus of the negotiations that lasted almost two weeks.

“Tailwind for upcoming climate negotiations”

Greenpeace said that the conference had set a course for the implementation of the World Nature Treaty, but that there was no response that did justice to the urgency set out in the interim report.

The organization stated that the results stated that harmful subsidies should be reallocated and more money should be mobilized for nature conservation, that climate and nature protection should be better integrated and that the resolutions of the conference strengthened framework conditions for the protection of forests and seas. According to the WWF, there has been a compromise on biodiversity financing that represents small steps towards future solutions.

“The resolutions of the World Nature Conservation Conference now provide momentum for the upcoming climate negotiations in Antalya and the protection of the high seas,” said Jannes Stoppel from Greenpeace Germany. He also sees them as a call to Germany to implement the goals of the International Agreement on Nature with greater commitment. More money must be made available for international nature conservation, “especially directly for indigenous communities, for example in the globally important Amazon region”.

Federal Environment Minister: We will continue our commitment

Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider said: “We Europeans united and negotiated strongly for nature, but there were also brakes who wanted to take less responsibility, including in financial issues.” The SPD politician announced: “We will continue our commitment to expanding protected areas on land and at sea.” In Germany too, “the restoration of our ecosystems” should be addressed in a planned manner.