The China-backed Biodiversity Fund has approved another round of projects. The Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) has endorsed nine conservation initiatives totaling approximately $4.5 million, according to Deputy Minister of Ecology and Environment Dun Baotong.
Speaking at a briefing during the seventeenth session of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Parties meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, Dun noted that these projects cover countries such as Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, Cuba, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Somalia, and Vietnam.
China contributed 400 million yuan (approximately $60 million) and called on governments, businesses, and civil society organizations worldwide to also participate in funding. The Fund supports nature conservation models that can be copied and scaled, pooling resources from various sources to fill gaps in conservation financing.
To date, the fund has already approved 31 projects in 45 developing countries, with another 40 projects in preparation. These future projects focus on ecosystem restoration, emergency protection of rare and endangered species, and other conservation activities.
Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the CBD Secretariat, described the fund as a 'flexible instrument' and thanked China for its leadership, emphasizing that the fund aligns with the Global Biodiversity Framework and contributes to achieving its goals by 2030.
Inger Andersen, Director-General of the UN Environment Programme, stated that the nine new projects are part of an anticipated $21 million investment to be distributed by the end of 2026, calling it 'critically necessary funding for many countries.'
Dun added that KBF, launched in May 2024, will adhere to a multilateral approach, operating openly and transparently, and hopes to attract more partners to achieve these goals.