EU pushes for more nations to pay to protect nature

The European Union is pushing to expand the global donor base to fund nature protection, arguing that major emerging economies and industrialized nations must contribute as global economic realities have shifted since the 1990s.

The push has met resistance at the COP17 biodiversity summit in Armenia on Tuesday, with disagreement over the donor list among the main issues unresolved in the final week of negotiations. The EU Environment Commissioner stated that it is crucial to enlarge who pays for global conservation beyond traditional European and Western donor nations.

Global biodiversity funding faces an estimated annual shortfall of around $700 billion, which threatens international goals such as protecting 30% of land and water by 2030.