YEREVAN, 16th October, 2026 (WAM) -- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for urgent and effective international action to address environmental degradation and biodiversity loss.
Addressing the Leaders’ Summit in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on Friday, Guterres urged governments to increase investment in solutions that protect ecosystems, while strengthening the involvement of the private sector and local communities in these efforts.
His appeal came ahead of the opening of the 17th United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP17), as he warned that humanity's continued destruction of nature threatens the future of life on Earth, with more than one million species facing the risk of extinction.
Guterres said climate disruption, overgrazing and excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides are driving the triple planetary crisis of pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change, bringing the planet ever closer to becoming uninhabitable.
He noted that for every dollar invested in protecting nature, US$30 is spent on activities that damage it, adding that US$7.3 trillion flowed into industries harmful to nature in 2023.
The Secretary-General stressed that achieving global biodiversity, climate and land restoration goals would require annual investment in nature-based solutions to reach US$571 billion by 2030, equivalent to approximately 0.5 per cent of global gross domestic product.
He warned that even if countries fulfil their current commitments, only 26 per cent of terrestrial ecosystems and 12 per cent of marine ecosystems would be protected by 2030, falling well short of the global target of conserving 30 per cent of the world's land and sea.