YEREVAN, November 1. /ARKA/. At the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), which concluded in Yerevan, nearly $2 billion in new funding for biodiversity conservation was announced, according to a final press release from the Convention Secretariat published on October 31.
The UN document outlines three funding streams totaling more than $1.39 billion:
- $560 million — through the ninth replenishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-9) and its Global Biodiversity Framework Fund;
- $500 million — through the Species Recovery Alliance initiative;
- more than $330 million — through the Value Nature Fund, which aims to mobilize private capital for conservation.
However, the press release does not provide a full breakdown of the total amount of nearly $2 billion for all the financial initiatives announced at the conference.
In addition to the financial initiatives, the Asian Development Bank announced the launch of a new biodiversity bond and an investment incubator. The release did not specify the funding volume for these instruments.
According to the Convention Secretariat, approximately 50 decisions on biodiversity conservation and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework were adopted following COP17.
One of the main outcomes of the conference, held October 19-30, was the adoption of the “Yerevan Pathway,” which sets out priorities for international action through 2030. These include expanding financial support for developing countries, reforming harmful subsidies, and aligning budgetary and economic policies with global biodiversity goals.
