With just four years remaining to deliver the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, experts from across the conservation, policy and sustainable finance communities gathered this week for a Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) event exploring priorities for CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia.
CCI In Conversation: What to Expect at CBD COP17 in Yerevan was chaired by Melissa Leach, Executive Director of Cambridge Conservation Initiative, and featured Chris Sandbrook, Director of the Cambridge Conservation Research Institute; Catherine Weller, Director of Global Policy and Government Relations at Fauna & Flora; Natasha Ali, Head of Policy Support at UNEP-WCMC; and Dr Nina Seega, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Finance at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).
The discussion examined the first emerging picture of progress against the Global Biodiversity Framework. While countries are beginning to submit national reports, panellists noted that current evidence suggests the world is not on track to meet its biodiversity goals. National targets do not yet match the collective ambition required, while gaps in monitoring and reporting make it difficult to assess progress consistently and identify where additional support is needed.
Speakers highlighted the challenge of moving from commitments to implementation. Biodiversity remains insufficiently integrated into many economic and policy decisions, while governments continue to face barriers in translating national commitments into practical action.
Finance emerged as a key theme. Panellists discussed the significant gap between current funding levels and what is needed to deliver the Global Biodiversity Framework. While new mechanisms such as the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund and the Cali Fund have been established, questions remain over how to mobilise finance at scale and ensure resources reach the countries and communities that need them most.
Dr Nina Seega, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Finance at CISL, said:
"The funding gap remains one of the biggest challenges facing delivery of the Global Biodiversity Framework. While important commitments have been made, we are still far from mobilising finance at the scale required. The question is not simply where the money will come from, but how we create the frameworks, incentives and financial mechanisms needed to ensure resources flow to where they can have the greatest impact."
The discussion also explored the growing role of businesses, civil society organisations, philanthropies and universities in supporting biodiversity action, alongside the importance of strengthening links between biodiversity and climate agendas.
CBD COP17 will take place in Yerevan, Armenia, under the theme Taking Action for Nature, and is expected to play an important role in shaping the next phase of global efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.