Global nature talks reach deal but money remains an issue

What the report says

Countries meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, have reached agreement on key parts of a new global nature action plan after nearly two weeks of difficult negotiations, the BBC reports. The talks were intended to revive progress on the 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework, which set targets to halt and reverse nature loss, including protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030. Delegates from nearly 200 countries acknowledged that the world is not on track to meet most of those goals.

The BBC says the central challenge remains funding. Governments had previously promised to raise $30bn a year for nature recovery and mobilise another $170bn from private sources by the end of the decade, but current pledges are lagging. At this meeting, more than $1bn was pledged, with about half coming from philanthropies, yet officials and campaigners said the scale still falls short. Some progress was also reported on efforts to cut subsidies that damage ecosystems, such as support for harmful fishing practices.

The article adds that the so-called Cali Fund, designed to draw contributions from companies that profit from genetic resources in nature, attracted only limited pledges. Environmental groups welcomed the fact that countries stayed engaged and reached a deal at all, while warning that biodiversity loss remains severe. The BBC also noted concern over tensions around approving scientific reports, with some countries accused of delaying the process. The outcome matters because biodiversity underpins ecosystems, economies and food security, and the next major climate summit is approaching.