The Philippines has urged the international community to urgently scale up financing for biodiversity and strengthen cooperation to turn global conservation commitments into real results, as the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) got underway here Friday, October 16.
Speaking on behalf of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna told the Leaders’ Summit that three critical areas need immediate global attention: aligning financial systems with nature’s needs, increasing funding from all sources, and expanding technical support and collaboration across nations. Cuna noted that being “leaders for nature” means more than making promises—it means mobilizing resources and delivering lasting change for both people and the planet.
For the Philippines, protecting nature goes beyond environmental concerns—it is central to national development, economic security, and community resilience. As a megadiverse archipelago, the country values its rich natural heritage while recognizing its shared duty to safeguard it. This vision is carried forward in the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2024–2040, which translates global goals from the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework into clear, measurable national actions. A dedicated Biodiversity Finance Plan is also in place to map funding requirements, raise domestic resources, and draw in investment from both public and private sectors.
Cuna stressed that success will take more than government action alone. Conservation must be a shared responsibility across all sectors of society, he said, calling on fellow nations to ensure that nature is seen not just as something to be saved, but as the very foundation of lasting prosperity and development for generations to come.
The COP17 meeting gathers 196 parties to review worldwide progress, track financial support, and monitor national steps toward the global goal of halting and reversing nature loss by 2030.
