Greenpeace urges action on biodiversity funding, harmful subsidies and Indigenous rights at COP17

Greenpeace representatives have called for increased biodiversity funding, an end to subsidies that harm nature, and stronger protections for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities as key priorities at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan.

At a press conference in Yerevan, Greenpeace representatives stressed that decisions made at COP17 will be crucial to achieving global biodiversity targets by 2030. They said the priority should not be to introduce more declarations and initiatives, but to fulfill existing commitments and address outstanding challenges.

An Lambrechts, head of the Greenpeace delegation to CBD COP17, said COP17 was an important milestone on the path toward the 2030 targets. According to Lambrechts, assessments of global progress on biodiversity conservation show that the international community is significantly behind schedule.

“We need adequate resources directed toward the right objectives. Rights must be at the heart of implementation, and global and national policies must be interconnected, coordinated and consistent with one another,” Lambrechts stressed.

She also emphasized the need to implement the decisions adopted at COP16 in Cali, particularly those concerning funding for the Cali Fund and ensuring the effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

According to Lambrechts, companies that derive the greatest benefits from digital sequence information (DSI) should make a fair contribution to biodiversity conservation. She stressed that major corporations profiting from the destruction of nature must be held accountable.

She also called for the protection of the right to self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and for their full participation in decision-making processes.

“We do not need new declarations and initiatives from this conference simply to increase their number. We need an action-oriented response to the problems that have already been identified,” Lambrechts said.

The biodiversity financing gap remains one of the main challenges.

Irène Wabiwa, biodiversity programme manager at Greenpeace International, stressed that developed countries had failed to meet their commitment to provide $20 billion annually in international biodiversity finance by 2025. They must now take action to close the gap and achieve the target of providing $30 billion annually by 2030.

According to Wabiwa, developed countries must not replace their core commitments with attempts to mobilize funding from the private sector. Although business participation is important, public finance must continue to play a central role.

“We are not saying that the private sector should not contribute. It, too, must take on its share of responsibility. However, public finance must be the priority, and developed countries must fulfill their commitments,” Wabiwa said.

She said subsidies that harm nature must be reviewed and countries’ financial capacity to address biodiversity loss strengthened.

“We cannot demand funding for nature conservation on the one hand while continuing to support activities that damage forests and ecosystems on the other,” she stressed.

She also highlighted the need for debt relief or debt cancellation for developing countries. According to her, these countries are expected to conserve forests and biodiversity, while their heavy debt burdens often force them to exploit natural resources to meet their financial obligations.

Laura Caicedo, campaigns coordinator at Greenpeace Colombia, addressed the target of conserving at least 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030.

She said simply designating new protected areas was not enough. Ecosystems must be effectively protected, their destruction and degradation prevented, damaged areas restored, and their long-term conservation ensured.

According to Caicedo, land grabbing, the expansion of livestock farming, mining and infrastructure projects continue to put pressure on natural ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. She stressed that nature conservation policies must be aligned with agricultural, trade, investment and subsidy policies.

Particular attention was also given to the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Caicedo said governments must recognize the role of their traditional territories and governance systems, provide legal protection for community-led conservation initiatives, and ensure that these communities have a genuine influence over decisions affecting their territories.

According to Caicedo, the “30 by 30” target must not be reduced to marking new areas on a map. It must mean preserving healthy, interconnected ecosystems, respecting people’s rights and providing the necessary resources.

The participants in the press conference agreed that progress in the coming years will depend both on the decisions made in Yerevan and on their subsequent implementation in national capitals and at the local level.