YEREVAN, ARMENIA, October 14, 2026 — COP17 marks the halfway point for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and will host the first ever stocktake of GBF implementation. The Global Review of Collective Progress provides the clearest picture yet of where the world stands in implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework. Its findings emphasize that halting and reversing biodiversity loss requires a significant step change for Parties to move from commitment to action.
Analysis of national commitments and implementation progress confirms that while the GBF has generated unprecedented global engagement in international and national biodiversity action, we are significantly off track to achieve the 2030 targets.
In the past four years, biodiversity loss has continued at pace. The natural systems that sustain life are weakening. Many common species are declining in number, and many ecosystems are on the verge of collapse, threatening the people and wildlife that depend on them.
At the same time, the linked climate crisis is intensifying across the globe: many regions face scorching summers and intensifying forest fires, or are grappling with prolonged droughts; others struggle with destructive floods, or the loss of winter seasons. As a result, human lives have been lost, livelihoods destroyed, and wildlife wiped out, leading to severe economic losses and extensive infrastructure damage.
Despite this grave situation, the good news is the Global Review of Collective Progress shows us precisely where implementation is falling short, what barriers are standing in the way of implementation and what it takes to deliver. There has already been progress in certain areas, which should be celebrated and used as a reminder that bending the curve is possible if we act together. Increased political will and commitment lie at the heart of unlocking the action we need to see.
It is not too late to put us back on track. COP17 is an opportunity to rapidly increase momentum for nature action and send strong signals to the international community on where our collective efforts and investment are needed.
We, BirdLife International, Campaign for Nature, Conservation International, RSPB, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF International and Zoological Society of London, call on the COP to reflect these five key issues:
We ask Parties to keep these considerations in mind, both in Yerevan and upon returning home. Adam Falk, President & CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), said: “WCS and our conservation partners around the world understand the long days and nights that went into the national and local progress captured in documents for CBD CoP17. However, there is still much work to be done. Much more is needed to mainstream biodiversity into wider policy landscapes, to protect and conserve ecological integrity, and to achieve our shared goal of reversing nature loss. Four years until 2030 may seem short, but there is plenty we can do between now and then to ensure a real future for wildlife and wild places.”
Martin Harper, CEO, BirdLife International, said: “Birds tell us two things: how serious the biodiversity crisis has become and that recovery is still within reach. Our recent State of the World’s Birds report confirms the central message of the global report — we are simply not doing enough for nature. The science is clear and we have solutions; what the world awaits is action. Governments, businesses and wider society must now step up and deliver. The BirdLife Partnership is fully prepared to play its part, including through our flyways work, to secure a future where birds and the ecosystems, upon which we all depend, can thrive.”
Brian O’Donnell, Director of Campaign for Nature, said: “Our “30×30 Global Assessment” shows that real progress is being made towards 30×30, and that one of the flagship targets of the KM-GBF remains within reach. It also finds that delivering on existing commitments could close much of the remaining gap in coverage on land, and accelerating action through the High Seas Treaty could close much of the gap in coverage in the ocean. Crucially, governments must now step up political will and action to achieve 30×30 and the entire KM-GBF. This requires treating both not only as a conservation imperative, but as an investment in economic resilience, climate stability, food and water security, health, and long-term prosperity.”
Patricia Zurita, Conservation International’s Executive Director and Chief External Affairs Officer, said: “Four years after the world committed to halting and reversing biodiversity loss, we urgently need more funding for nature. One place to start is by rethinking how governments spend public money. Every year, trillions of dollars go into subsidies that harm nature, even as funding to protect it falls far short of what’s needed. We can’t reverse biodiversity loss while continuing to finance the activities that drive deforestation, overfishing, pollution and more. Reforming subsidies can redirect public spending toward solutions that benefit people and nature while complementing other sources of international finance. COP17 must be a turning point, one where countries move beyond promises and begin changing the economic incentives that are degrading the ecosystems we all depend on.”
Beccy Speight, CEO of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), said: “This mid-decade review of the Global Biodiversity Framework should be a reality check for governments around the world. COP17 must mark a shift from promises to implementation, with governments embedding nature into decisions across every sector of the economy and backing their commitments with the funding and political leadership needed to make them a reality. Time is running short, but the opportunity to turn things around is still within reach.”
Jennifer Morris, Chief Executive Officer, The Nature Conservancy, said: “Nature loss is not inevitable. We know what works, we know where progress is falling short, and we know that stronger action can still put us on a better trajectory. COP17 is an opportunity to rally the leadership, investments, and partnerships needed to accelerate action at the scale needed to secure a thriving future for people and nature.”
Kirsten Schuijt, Director General, WWF International said: “COP17 must move countries towards action and implementation. The benefits of collective action for nature are clear: stronger ecological resilience, more secure food and water systems, and reduced economic vulnerability. WWF’s latest Living Planet Report shows that nature can recover when the right actions are taken. Lasting progress however depends on transforming the systems driving nature loss and shifting decision-making from short-term fixes to long-term solutions. For COP17, this requires governments, businesses, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, youth, and wider society to all participate actively in decision making that moves agreements into urgent implementation, to shape and deliver nature-positive solutions.”
Andrew Terry, Chief Conservation Officer, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), said: “COP17 needs to create meaningful change for nature. Parties at COP17 must come together to agree a bold set of actions, to be delivered with urgency and with hope. Hope inspires and motivates us – and despite the challenges we face, we still have reason to be hopeful. The 2026 Living Planet Index (LPI) highlights the overall stark situation facing biodiversity. However, it also shows that loss is not inevitable and recovery is possible. Approximately half the populations tracked on the LPI are holding steady or growing. When pressures are reduced, nature finds its way back – and that’s what we’re seeing with species like the green sea turtle and African elephant. We know that capacity and data gaps are widespread, but these cannot be used as barriers to action any longer. COP17 must move the dial with targeted solutions that genuinely speed up and scale progress towards meeting the 2030 commitments.”
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