COP17 Yerevan

Navigating COP17 on Biodiversity in Armenia: The Ultimate Challenge

From October 19 to 30, 2026, Yerevan will host COP17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Marking the first global review of progress under the Kunming-Montreal Framework, the summit arrives amid stalled financial commitments and escalating climate challenges.

What It Is and When It Takes Place

Yerevan will host the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity from October 19 to 30, 2026, uniting approximately 200 nations under the guiding motto “Taking action for nature.” This landmark summit marks the first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Framework, adopted in 2022, which outlines 23 ambitious targets to halt biodiversity loss by 2030, including the vital goal of safeguarding 30% of the planet’s land and oceans. However, the latest assessments reveal a sobering reality: nations are currently off track to meet 22 of the 23 targets.

Why Choose Armenia?

Spanning less than 30,000 km², Armenia is a remarkably compact yet vital Caucasus biodiversity hotspot, harboring approximately 60% of the region’s diverse ecosystems. Within a remarkably short distance, the terrain transforms dramatically from rugged mountains and volcanic plateaus to lush forests, sweeping steppes, tranquil wetlands, and arid semideserts, with endemic plants making up about 3% of its rich flora. Championed by the Yerevan blue butterfly (Polyommatus eriwanensis)—the official symbol of COP17—the country’s remarkable fauna also features iconic wildlife such as the elusive Caucasian leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica), the majestic Armenian mouflon, and the resilient brown bear.

For the country, this also serves as a critical test: according to EU4Environment, approximately 110 hectares of forest are lost annually due to illegal logging, overgrazing, and mining activities.

Everything is interconnected.

Climate and biodiversity are inextricably linked by the fate of the Earth. Established at the 1992 Rio Summit, the UN conventions on biodiversity and climate operated independently for decades. Today, scientific consensus converges on a critical truth: we cannot overcome the global climate emergency without protecting the planet’s biological diversity with equal urgency.

Global warming accelerates species extinction and environmental degradation, while the destruction of forests and mangroves releases vast amounts of CO₂, further fueling the climate crisis. The 2021 IPBES-IPCC workshop report delivers an unmistakable warning: failing to simultaneously address these deeply interconnected crises will irretrievably compromise the future of our planet.

Nature-based solutions—such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands—present a powerful dual benefit: they simultaneously boost carbon sequestration and safeguard vital biodiversity. However, we must remain vigilant against misleading approaches, including single-species biofuel monocultures and intensive commercial plantations, which often do more harm than good.

However, it is crucial to emphasize that while nature-based solutions cannot replace the phasing out of fossil fuels, they remain an indispensable tool for achieving our climate goals.

The green transition loses momentum

The Paris Agreement aims to limit global temperature increases to well below 2 °C—with an optimal target of 1.5 °C—relying on voluntary national commitments (NDCs) that are revised every five years. Despite these frameworks, current policies project a warming trajectory nearing 3 °C, compounded by a 2.3% surge in global emissions in 2024. Consequently, a UNEP report published in September 2026 concludes that surpassing the critical 1.5 °C threshold is now unavoidable.

The conclusion of COP30 in Belém bypassed any mention of fossil fuels, despite passionate appeals from more than eighty nations. This landmark summit also marked the first time the United States was entirely absent from the official delegation following its withdrawal from the agreement, while a full third of participating countries failed to update their national climate commitments. Meanwhile, in Europe, officials ratified a target to slash emissions by 90% by 2040. This ambition was tempered by increased regulatory flexibility—such as the allowance of international credits and the deferral of the ETS2 scheme to 2028—as an ongoing energy crisis continues to dictate the political landscape. The global climate agenda now shifts to Antalya, Turkey, which will host COP31 from November 9 to 20.

What to expect

The root of the problem, much like in Cali, is financial.

  • The IUCN has issued a critical warning: unless global efforts are dramatically accelerated, the 2030 conservation targets will be missed. The primary obstacle is a severe shortfall in funding. To reverse this trend, urgent investments are required to drive effective conservation, ecosystem restoration, capacity building, and international cooperation.
  • The Nature Conservancy outlines four key priorities: accelerating progress toward 2030 targets, reforming financial systems, integrating biodiversity into infrastructure development, and strengthening policy frameworks. Above all, it is essential to keep the climate and nature agendas unified.
  • Global review: Governments must determine its future and how it will shape national strategies.
  • Finance: The target of $20 billion annually in international finance by 2025 fell short at $16.1 billion, while the broader goal of $200 billion per year from all sources by 2030 currently stands at just $75–92 billion, based on the 2023–25 OECD average. Meanwhile, tensions persist as the Global South advocates for a dedicated financial mechanism, whereas the Global North favors utilizing the existing Global Environment Facility (GEF). Consequently, a final decision on this matter has been deferred to sometime between COP17 and COP18.
  • The Cali Fund, established to compel corporations to pay for utilizing digital genetic information, remains completely empty.
  • A historic breakthrough remains unlikely, as simply reaching a clear decision on the next steps of the revision and advancing the financial mechanism would already constitute a strong outcome.

Italy’s Strategic Position

Italy is actively engaged in the initiative through MASE, MAECI, and ISPRA, underpinned by its National Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The nation places a strong emphasis on empowering the younger generation via Youth4Climate, which currently supports 200 projects across more than 50 countries, although a comprehensive negotiating position has not yet been officially released.

In February 2025, Rome hosted the resumed COP16 summit, which successfully brokered a compromise on global financial mechanisms. For Italy, however, the true test lies in implementation; while the National Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 formally aligns with all 23 global targets, the WWF continues to criticize the government for lacking an operational roadmap backed by sufficient funding.

One especially sensitive battleground involves hunting, specifically bill 1552, which seeks to overhaul framework law 157/1992 concerning wildlife conservation. This legislative push has already triggered alarm bells within the European Commission, which harbors serious doubts about the proposal’s alignment with EU “Birds” and “Habitats” directives. Environmental organizations are demanding an immediate freeze on the bill, warning of the imminent threat of a fresh infringement procedure by the European Union. This critical issue jeopardizes biodiversity safeguards and undermines Italy’s international standing, particularly on global stages like Yerevan.

Italy ranks among the European nations most vulnerable to climate change and, regrettably, remains far from meeting the Paris Agreement objectives alongside the European Union’s 2035 and 2040 targets. Significant challenges persist across emissions reduction, adaptation strategies, and sustainable investments. Consequently, the upcoming Yerevan summit will serve as a critical juncture for evaluating the potential allocation of new resources and defining the nation’s official stance on global climate finance mechanisms.

In conclusion

While Yerevan may not capture the headlines of Belém, it is precisely there that governments will determine whether they can secure the funding and mechanisms needed to turn 23 vital targets into reality, or if 2030 will ultimately remain nothing more than an empty promise on paper.

The true opportunity lies in recognizing that climate change and biodiversity loss are part of the exact same struggle. With more than half of the global economy relying on healthy ecosystems, Yerevan can either be the stage where empty promises transform into meaningful action or simply another missed opportunity. Ultimately, success hinges on securing adequate funding, maintaining long-term consistency, and mustering genuine political will.

COP-17 Official website