Cautious optimism as UN Biodiversity Conference ends in Armenia

Environmental organizations expressed cautious optimism as the 17th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17) drew to a close in Yerevan on Saturday.

Almost 200 member states of the Convention on Biological Diversity spent nearly two weeks negotiating in the Armenian capital from October 19, with the conference lasting a day longer than originally planned.

The main focus was on how countries can achieve their self-imposed biodiversity protection targets despite setbacks.

Although the conference was marked by compromises and watered-down commitments, it nevertheless produced a positive outcome, according to WWF Germany. "Overall, there is more to celebrate than to criticize," the organization's Heike Vesper said.

"The most important outcome, in WWF's view, is that countries have agreed on an action plan to accelerate the implementation of the targets they have set themselves for 2030," she added.

Four years ago, countries agreed on 23 targets aimed at protecting and restoring biodiversity by 2030, under the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Among other commitments, at least 30% of the world's land and marine areas are to be placed under protection. An interim report published shortly before the conference found that these targets could not be achieved without significantly accelerating implementation.

Assessing progress and identifying ways to speed up implementation were therefore central to the nearly two weeks of negotiations.

Greenpeace said that although the conference had established a roadmap for implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework, it had failed to deliver a response that matched the urgency highlighted in the interim report.