As countries prepare to gather in Yerevan, Armenia for COP17 next week, a new analysis reveals significant progress in national commitments to address biodiversity loss. According to Carbon Brief research, 113 of 196 parties—representing 58 percent of nations—have now submitted updated national biodiversity strategies and action plans, known as NBSAPs, reflecting an increase from 55 countries one year prior.
The original deadline for submitting these plans was set for the start of the COP16 biodiversity summit in October 2024, though only 15 percent of nations met that target. Following the summit, countries adopted language urging all nations to release their NBSAPs as expeditiously as feasible. Since that decision, numerous countries across multiple regions have moved forward with submissions. African nations have particularly increased their participation, with 28 countries from the continent—including Algeria, Brazil, Egypt, Madagascar and Zambia—releasing new plans within the past year. South American contributors have included Brazil, described as the world’s most biodiverse nation, along with Belize and Chile. Armenia, the host nation for the current summit, published its plan in April.
COP17 represents a critical checkpoint for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a comprehensive accord adopted in 2022 designed to reverse nature decline by 2030. The summit will host the first comprehensive global review of progress toward the framework’s 23 targets, which encompass ecosystem restoration, climate action and financial support for developing nations.
Notably, some megadiverse nations have not yet released updated plans, including Papua New Guinea, Peru, South Africa and the United States. Russia has similarly not produced a new NBSAP. Beyond the core biodiversity strategies, 89 percent of countries have now submitted national targets, and 73 percent have completed their seventh national reports to the UN as of February. Developing nations have previously cited funding constraints as obstacles to plan development, though a multilateral fund reported that 120 of 139 countries seeking financial assistance since COP16 have gained access to support.
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