The Kunming Biodiversity Fund has approved nine new biodiversity conservation projects worth approximately 4.5 million U.S. dollars to support developing countries in protecting ecosystems and endangered species.
China’s Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment, Dong Baotong, announced the approval on Monday during a briefing at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan, Armenia.
The projects will be implemented in Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, Cuba, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Somalia and Vietnam under the first phase of the fund’s third funding round.
Launched in May 2024, the Kunming Biodiversity Fund was established by China to support biodiversity conservation efforts in developing countries.
China has contributed 400 million yuan, equivalent to about 60 million dollars, to the initiative and is encouraging governments, businesses and civil society organisations worldwide to provide additional funding.
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According to Dong, the fund prioritises conservation models that can be replicated and expanded, while bringing together resources from different sources to address gaps in biodiversity financing.
The fund has so far approved 31 projects across 45 developing countries. It plans to support approximately 40 additional projects during the second phase of its third funding round, with a focus on ecosystem restoration, emergency protection for rare and endangered species, and other conservation initiatives.
Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, praised China’s role in establishing the fund, describing it as an important instrument for advancing international biodiversity commitments.
She said the initiative aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets international targets for halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
Meanwhile, Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said the nine newly approved projects form part of an estimated 21 million dollars in funding expected to be disbursed by the end of 2026.
Andersen noted that the financial support would provide much-needed resources for countries working to address biodiversity challenges.
Dong reaffirmed the fund’s commitment to multilateral cooperation, openness and transparency, while calling for more international partners to help strengthen conservation financing and translate global biodiversity commitments into practical results.
