World · Europe · 15 hrs ago
Guterres urges governments to end fossil fuel subsidies as nature goals lag
UN chief António Guterres urged governments to end fossil fuel subsidies at an event in Yerevan, Armenia, on Thursday.
He said governments should use the savings to support people and the planet.
Nearly 200 countries meet in Armenia next week for UN biodiversity talks to review progress toward goals set for 2030.
The goals include protecting 30% of the world’s land and oceans and reducing damage to nature.
Many of the targets are off track, according to a UN report launched by Guterres.
Governments have made little progress on a pledge to reduce subsidies that harm nature, including support for fossil fuels, mining and intensive farming.
About $30 still goes to harmful activities for every dollar spent protecting nature, according to UN figures.
Governments are expected to face pressure at the talks to correct course, though major new funding pledges are not expected.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged governments to end subsidies for fossil fuels and other activities that harm nature.
He warned that the world is falling short of its 2030 biodiversity commitments.
Nearly 200 countries are due to meet in Yerevan for UN biodiversity negotiations starting October 19.
A UN report found that about $30 goes to activities that degrade nature for every dollar invested in protecting or restoring it.
Guterres called for harmful subsidies to be redirected toward people and the planet.
- Who
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged governments to end fossil fuel subsidies.
- What
- He called for an end to subsidies that harm nature and said progress toward biodiversity goals was insufficient.
- When
- October 15 and 16, 2026; the UN biodiversity negotiations are due to start October 19.
- Where
- Yerevan, Armenia.
- Why
- Harmful subsidies and insufficient action are contributing to nature loss and leaving the 2030 biodiversity targets off track.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Guterres launched a report in Yerevan warning that the world was falling short of its biodiversity commitments.
Guterres urged governments to end fossil fuel subsidies.
UN biodiversity negotiations are due to begin in Yerevan.
- UN biodiversity negotiations
- Nearly 200 countries
- Negotiations start
- October 19, 2026
- Nature investment ratio
- About $1 invested in nature for every $30 spent on activities that degrade it
- Harmful subsidy target
- Reduce subsidies by US$500 billion a year by 2030
- Biodiversity targets
- 23 targets, including conserving 30% of land and oceans by 2030
3 sources
What people are saying
Subsidising fossil fuels is subsidising suicide
The war on nature has not yet ended
Nature won’t thrive on good intentions
Governments and all stakeholders must see that investing in nature is not a luxury, it is the very key to our survival.