Nations are gathering in Yerevan, Armenia, next week for COP17, a biodiversity summit that marks the midpoint of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The framework, adopted in 2022 by nearly every country worldwide, aims to reverse nature decline by 2030 through 23 specific targets addressing ecosystem restoration, climate action, and financial support for developing nations.
According to analysis by Carbon Brief, 113 out of 196 parties—approximately 58% of countries—have now submitted updated national biodiversity strategies and action plans, known as NBSAPs. This represents a substantial increase from 55 nations one year prior. The original deadline for submission was October 2024 at the COP16 summit, when only 15% of nations complied. Following that summit, countries agreed to encourage further submissions without a fixed deadline.
Progress has been particularly notable in Africa, where numerous countries have released new plans over the past year, including Algeria, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Zambia among others. South American nations such as Brazil, the world’s most biodiverse country, and Chile have also published updated plans. Armenia, the host nation for COP17, released its NBSAP in April. However, several megadiverse nations remain without new plans, including Papua New Guinea, Peru, South Africa, and the United States, which is notably not a signatory to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
COP17 will feature the first global assessment of progress toward the 2030 targets. Additionally, 89% of countries have now submitted national targets, and 73% have completed their seventh national reports. Developing nations have cited insufficient funding as a barrier to producing comprehensive plans, though the Global Environment Facility reports that 120 out of 139 countries requesting financial support since COP16 have accessed assistance.
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