COP17: Yerevan Pathway ends with 50 agendas
UPSC IAS/BPSC | GS Paper 3 | Environment & Ecology |
Why in News?
The world's biggest biodiversity meeting, COP-17, just ended in Yerevan, Armenia. Countries came together under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and agreed on a new roadmap called the Yerevan Pathway.
India used this platform to make a clear point: saving nature is not possible on empty promises. Developing countries need enough money, on time, and access to green technology from rich nations to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the global plan to protect nature by 2030.
What happened at COP-17 in Yerevan?
Yerevan Pathway adopted: The first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Framework showed progress is too slow. So, countries adopted the Yerevan Pathway, a push to speed up action before the 2030 deadline. It asks countries to link their budgets and economic decisions with nature, stop harmful subsidies, and track progress better.
Sevan Guidelines for Indigenous Peoples: Countries adopted the Sevan Guidelines to give Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities a permanent voice under Article 8(j). In simple words, their rights, role, and traditional knowledge will now be formally included in biodiversity decisions, not just as an afterthought.
In a landmark decision at COP 16, Parties adopted a new Program of Work on Article 8(j) and other provisions of the Convention related to indigenous peoples and local communities.
Nearly $2 Billion New Funding Announced
$560 million through Global Environment Facility (GEF)
$500 million through Species Recovery Alliance
The Asian Development Bank also launched a biodiversity bond and investment incubator to attract private money for nature.
Harmful Subsidies: Reforming subsidies that damage nature was the most controversial issue. Strong wording to "urge" countries to end them was opposed by Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, and others. The final text was softened to just "encourage" countries to reform "as per national circumstances."
Digital Sequence Information (DSI) & Cali Fund: Talks continued on how to share benefits from genetic data, the Cali Fund created at COP-16. No final deal yet, but a pilot phase was agreed upon where companies making voluntary contributions will get certificates.
Many Decisions Postponed: Issues like governance of the Article 8(j) body, future finance mechanism, and full Cali Fund rules were left for COP-18 in Quito, Ecuador, in 2028.
India's Stand at COP-17
Equity First: India said clearly, Saving biodiversity cannot be one-sided. It must respect each country's own priorities, and developed nations must give predictable money, technology, and capacity building to developing nations.
Support for Cali Fund: India backed the Cali Fund, the global mechanism to share benefits from Digital Sequence Information (DSI), i.e., genetic data taken from nature. If companies use our genetic resources, benefits must come back.
The Cali Fund is a global biodiversity fund established under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) via Decision 16/2 at COP16. It is actually known as the Cali Guidelines for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, which were officially adopted at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia.
Cautious on Synthetic Biology: India called for a science-based, risk-proportionate, and precautionary approach to synthetic biology. Don't rush; assess the risk first.
India's Conservation Network is Huge: India showcased its scale:
1,134 Protected Areas
103 Ramsar Sites, 57 Biodiversity Heritage Sites
18 Biosphere Reserves (13 in UNESCO network)
Power to Villages: India highlighted its Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at the village level so that local people get a share of benefits from local biodiversity (Access and Benefit Sharing).
Flagship Schemes Showcased
MISHTI(Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes): Mangrove restoration
Amrit Dharohar: Sustainable wetland conservation
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA): Global effort to protect 7 big cat species
Mission LiFE & Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam: Making every citizen a partner in protecting nature
Conclusion
COP-17 proved one thing: the world knows what to do for nature but is still hesitating on how to pay for it. The Yerevan Pathway has set the direction, but without real finance, real technology, and real respect for Indigenous knowledge, 2030 will remain just another deadline on paper. India's message was simple and powerful: biodiversity is not charity; it is shared responsibility. Those who polluted the most must pay the most, and those who protected nature the longest must not be left to pay the price alone. If the world truly wants to save nature, it must stop negotiating nature's future and start funding it.
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