Countries reportedly agreed in Montreal four years ago to protect 30 percent of the world’s land and seas by 2030, alongside 23 measures to halt biodiversity loss and restore damaged nature. At a biodiversity summit in Yerevan, implementation is being assessed, and most of the goals are not on course, according to a United Nations assessment. Only the goal concerning the effects of climate change on nature was considered to be on track.

Progress on expanding protected areas is viewed as reasonably satisfactory, but support measures such as changing consumption patterns, raising conservation funding and phasing out subsidies that harm nature remain inadequate. The annual funding requirement is estimated at €200 billion, while less than half that amount has reportedly been secured. The Netherlands is negotiating with the European Union at the summit, where disagreements remain between wealthier countries and biodiversity-rich emerging countries over financial support. Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature Minister Jaimi van Essen is attending.