China Funds Global Biodiversity Projects

At the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, China unveiled nine new projects funded by the Kunming Biodiversity Fund. These projects, representing the first phase of the fund's third batch, have a total budget of approximately $4.5 million and will benefit Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, Cuba, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Somalia, and Vietnam.

The Kunming Biodiversity Fund was established by China in October 2021 during COP15 with an initial contribution of 1.5 billion yuan. To date, China has allocated a total of 400 million yuan ($60 million) to the fund, which has already supported 31 projects across 45 developing countries through its first two batches. The fund is recognized as a crucial platform for global biodiversity governance.

A significant outcome of COP17 was the adoption of the Yerevan Pathway, a negotiated response to the first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This pathway outlines priorities through 2030, aiming to accelerate implementation, enhance national targets, strengthen financial and other support, and improve monitoring and knowledge sharing.

Despite progress, such as expanded protected areas and a slowed rate of forest loss, global biodiversity conservation faces challenges including inadequate financing and technological gaps. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment urged parties to translate review findings into concrete actions, explore innovative financing, and bolster monitoring and data sharing. Nearly $2 billion in new biodiversity funding was announced during the conference, with China's contributions and leadership, including hosting the Kunming Dialogue, being acknowledged.