Fundraising for protecting oceans, forests, and other key nature sites is falling short ahead of a United Nations summit on biodiversity.

What it means

Countries are falling short on pledges to raise hundreds of billions of dollars to protect oceans, forests, and other critical natural areas ahead of the upcoming UN biodiversity summit (COP16 of the Convention on Biological Diversity). The UN's executive secretary for biodiversity, Astrid Schomaker, stated that fundraising is not moving fast enough to meet the 2030 targets for preserving ecosystems and species.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The claim is well-supported by a UN progress report and direct quotes from the Convention on Biological Diversity executive secretary, reported by multiple outlets including the Associated Press, Mongabay, and PBS. The reporting is close to the primary source—the official UN data and statement—making the claim reliable.

How new

Genuinely new: the story is based on a UN progress report released on October 16, 2026, just ahead of the biodiversity summit.

Go deeper

• Mongabay — first to publish