Minister of Environment Hambardzum Matevosyan delivered remarks at the Business and Finance Day within the framework of the 12th Plenary Session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES 12) in Manchester.

He presented the ministry’s priorities and potential areas of cooperation in the fields of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services valuation.

In a statement on social media, Matevosyan said he thanked the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Aviva, the multinational insurance company, for initiating the discussion.

“Biodiversity loss has become one of the greatest global risks, affecting economic resilience, public health, and financial stability. In this context, I emphasized the importance of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the need to accelerate actions to achieve the 2030 goals.

I highlighted in particular the role of the private sector and finance in closing the nature financing gap, aligning financial flows with biodiversity objectives, and applying innovative tools.

In my speech, I also referred to the ‘Business and Biodiversity’ assessment endorsed at IPBES 12, which serves as a scientific roadmap to help businesses assess their dependence on nature, reduce impacts, and transition toward nature-positive practices.

The 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, scheduled for October 2026 in Yerevan under the slogan ‘Taking Action for Nature,’ could become a decisive milestone, making the private sector a powerful driver of biodiversity conservation success,” Matevosyan said.

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1241350