[Above photo montage credits, clockwise from top left: Graham Harris © WCS (whale); Jule Larsen ©️WCS (scarlet macaw); Thomas Nicolon/WCS (crocodile); Will Burrard-Lucas/WCS (elephant); ©️WCS Mongolia (snow leopard); Scott Ramsay/WCS (gorilla)]
 

BRONX, NY, October 12, 2026 — With just four years remaining to meet the world’s 2030 biodiversity targets, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) says success at the upcoming UN Biodiversity Conference, CBD CoP17, must be measured by a fundamental question: Are the world’s commitments actually delivering results for biodiversity?

Governments meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, from October 19–30 will assess collective progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), adopted in 2022 with 23 targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

WCS says a successful CoP17 should demonstrate progress in three areas:

  • Results for nature: Governments must measure whether actions are actually maintaining or restoring wildlife, ecological integrity and functioning ecosystems—not simply whether commitments have been made or activities completed.
  • Implementation: Countries must accelerate action across the 23 targets and translate global commitments into national policies and action, working across government and in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
  • Financing that reaches conservation on the ground. Governments must significantly increase and better align biodiversity finance, including ensuring that resources reach the countries, protected and conserved areas, Indigenous Peoples and local communities that are delivering conservation results.

“Four years from 2030, we need to know whether our collective actions are actually reversing the loss of biodiversity,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman, WCS Vice President for International Policy. “Success cannot be measured simply by commitments made, money pledged or areas designated. It has to be measured by whether wildlife and ecosystems are better off because of the actions being taken—actions speak louder than words, and outcomes speak louder than outputs.”

One of the clearest tests is the global 30x30 commitment. Governments agreed in 2022 to effectively and equitably conserve at least 30 percent of the world’s land, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans by 2030.

Significant progress has been made toward the area component of the terrestrial target, while marine conservation remains further behind. But reaching an acreage target alone does not fulfill 30x30. Protected and conserved areas must also be effectively and equitably managed and deliver conservation outcomes.

The same principle applies across the Global Biodiversity Framework: success must ultimately be measured by what happens to biodiversity.

WCS is calling on governments at CoP17 to strengthen monitoring of ecological integrity and conservation outcomes; accelerate implementation of national biodiversity commitments; increase investment in Indigenous Peoples and local communities, rangers, ecoguards and others working on the front lines of conservation; and mobilize substantially greater public and private financing for biodiversity.

WCS also urges governments to address policies and incentives that continue to drive biodiversity loss, including over-exploitation and crimes that affect the environment, and to strengthen coordination and collaboration across environment, finance, health, agriculture, development and other ministries whose decisions affect biodiversity.

“CoP17 will remind us that the Global Biodiversity Framework is only as strong as our national implementation – and the pace is not fast enough to achieve our targets by 2030,” said Alfred DeGemmis, WCS Director of International Policy. “Pathways for real action will involve fixing the policies and incentives that continue to drive biodiversity loss, creatively mobilizing the resources countries need to act, identifying unique models for area-based conservation, and measuring whether those actions actually strengthen the integrity and resilience of ecosystems.”

WCS works with governments, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and other partners in more than 55 countries to advance implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Lieberman will lead the WCS delegation at CoP17. WCS experts attending the conference will be available to speak about international biodiversity policy; protected and conserved areas and 30x30; species conservation; marine conservation; Indigenous Peoples and local communities; business and biodiversity; wildlife health; and implementation of global biodiversity commitments.

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