COP17: Global biodiversity targets drifting away
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At the 2026 UN Biodiversity Conference COP17 in Yerevan, the progress made by countries worldwide in implementing measures to stop biodiversity loss was reviewed. While nearly 90 percent of the signatory nations have set biodiversity targets, these goals will not be met under the current pace of implementation. In Yerevan, the countries agreed on speeding up action, but mobilizing resources for biodiversity remains a challenge. Finland has yet to finalise its own national biodiversity strategy that would guide efforts to halt biodiversity loss.
The global targets for the protection and restoration of nature were agreed upon at the 2022 nature conference in Montreal. A key objective of the resulting agreement (the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) is to protect 30 percent of the Earth’s land and sea areas and to restore 30 percent of degraded areas by 2030, the so called 30×30 goal. The aim is also to promote the sustainable and equitable use of nature’s resources.
At the UN Biodiversity Conference, progress toward joint goals was assessed based on national reports.
Although progress has been made, a UN report compiled for the conference shows that there are significant obstacles to implementation. A major issue is the insufficient funding for nature protection initiatives, while activities that drive biodiversity loss continue to receive substantial support.
Marine conservation lags behind
Progress has been particularly slow when it comes to measures aimed at improving the state of marine, coastal, and inland water ecosystems. There is a significant gap between goals and implementation. This was recognized at the Conference, but the lack of strong commitments and adequate funding remains a major challenge.
According to the Ocean Protection Gap Report 2026, only 10 percent of the total ocean area is designated as protected, while just over 3 percent is effectively protected. In Finland, approximately 12 percent of marine areas are currently protected. While steps have been taken toward meeting the objectives of the biodiversity framework, the pace is insufficient.
Globally, the protection of marine and coastal areas has increased by about 1.7 percent since 2022. At this rate, only 12–15 percent will be protected by 2030. To reach the targets of 30×30, funding should be approximately 9–10 times higher than current levels.
Solutions and models for financing already exist. At the same time, the funding gap should be reduced by removing subsidies for activities that damage marine environment.
Finland lacks biodiversity strategy
Finland has once again participated the Conference without its own national biodiversity strategy – a document that lays out the methods and goals for protecting biodiversity.
The creation of such a strategy is mandated both internationally and domestically, under Finland’s own Nature Conservation Act. The previous strategy period ended in 2020 and a new one has been stalled for years due to political disagreements.
Finland has protected only about 16–17 percent of its total land and water area – roughly five million hectares. At the current pace, it is unachievable for Finland to meet the 30×30 target.
“This is the third time Finland has attended a UN Biodiversity Conference without a biodiversity strategy, and it is failing to meet the conservation targets to which it has committed. Within the EU, too, rather than acting as a leader, Finland has in recent years primarily sought to hinder shared nature-related goals,” states Miina Mäki, Program Manager at the John Nurminen Foundation.
For instance, regarding the development of a national restoration plan, Finland has attempted to alter the definition of “boreal natural forest” instead of restoring forests in accordance with EU legislation.
Investing in nature pays off
A key challenge in halting biodiversity loss is lack of funding. In Finland, for instance, the METSO and Helmi nature conservation programmes offer effective tools, yet the available funding is insufficient.
Simultaneously, the impact of nature initiatives is undermined by harmful subsidies and incentives, the scale of which exceeds the funding for nature conservation globally. For every dollar spent on conservation, 30 dollars are directed toward activities that destroy nature.
However, nature-related initiatives are not merely a cost, quite the contrary. Restoring nature presents an opportunity to enhance well-being, support climate change mitigation, and facilitate adaptation to its impacts. Furthermore, many restoration measures can be implemented cost-effectively.
According to an estimate by the European Commission, nature restoration could yield benefits for Finland amounting to nearly ten billion euros annually.
Halting biodiversity loss therefore requires a fundamental transformation of our society and the economic system that depletes nature: action within the environmental sector alone is not enough.
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