India Calls for Equitable Biodiversity Financing and Technology Transfer at COP 17

The 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 17) was held from October 19 to 30, 2026, in Yerevan, Armenia, under the theme “Taking Action for Nature”. The conference focused on accelerating global efforts to conserve biodiversity and implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

Adopted at COP 15 in December 2022, the KMGBF involves 196 countries and aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, while achieving a world where humans live in harmony with nature by 2050.

A key outcome of COP 17 was the adoption of the Yerevan Pathway, which outlines priority actions following the first global review of collective progress under the framework. It calls for reforming subsidies harmful to nature, increasing financial and technological assistance to developing countries, aligning national budgets with biodiversity objectives and strengthening monitoring and reporting mechanisms.

The conference also adopted the Sevan Guidelines, establishing operational rules for the permanent subsidiary body under Article 8(j). The guidelines aim to strengthen the participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in biodiversity policymaking.

India Reaffirms Biodiversity Commitments as COP 17 Announces New Financing Initiatives

COP 17 witnessed announcements of nearly US$2 billion in new biodiversity funding through various initiatives. These included US$560 million under the Global Environment Facility's replenishment, US$500 million through the Species Recovery Alliance and over US$330 million through the Value Nature Fund. The Asian Development Bank also launched a biodiversity bond and investment incubator.

India, represented by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, reaffirmed its commitment to biodiversity conservation and international cooperation. India stressed that implementing the KMGBF must align with national priorities and legislation, supported by adequate financing, capacity-building and technology transfer from developed countries. It also highlighted equitable benefit-sharing from Digital Sequence Information through the Cali Fund.

The CBD, adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, is a legally binding international treaty focused on biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and fair benefit-sharing. Its key protocols include the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (2000) and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (2010).

The KMGBF replaced the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (2011–2020) as the global roadmap for biodiversity conservation. COP 17 emphasised that achieving its objectives requires coordinated international action, institutional capacity and community participation. The next CBD COP 18 is scheduled to be held in Ecuador in 2028.