Ahead of the World Biodiversity Conference: Research museums call for decisive action

Munich, 29.09.2026

In the run-up to the COP17 World Nature Conference in Armenia, biodiversity researchers are jointly appealing to policymakers. They are calling for decisive action and a strong scientific basis to ensure that international targets for the protection of biodiversity are effectively implemented. The appeal is endorsed by the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN), the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research (SGN), the Bavarian State Natural History Collections (SNSB) and the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart (SMNS). Together, they are calling, amongst other things, for reliable funding for biodiversity conservation, effective protected areas, the strengthening of scientific infrastructure and biodiversity monitoring, and the phasing out of subsidies that are harmful to biodiversity.

The full text of the joint letter:

Dear Member of the German Bundestag,

We, the signatories of this letter, are writing to you because the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 17, 19–30 October 2026) will see landmark decisions taken on whether the global biodiversity agreement can be fully effective. As scientific institutions, we would like to support you with our wide-ranging expertise.

Through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF, 2022), the international community has committed to halting the loss of biodiversity and to living in harmony with nature by 2050.

This goal is achievable. However, it requires decisive and swift action, a sound scientific basis and sustained international cooperation. COP 17 will provide the first global review of collective progress. It is therefore the first opportunity to take an honest stock of the situation and to tackle existing shortcomings head-on – in line with the conference’s theme, ‘Taking Action for Nature’.

Taking action for nature means safeguarding the future

Biodiversity is much more than just a nature conservation issue. It forms the basis for food security, clean water, health, economic performance[1] and, last but not least, social stability. Intact ecosystems mitigate the effects of extreme weather events and are among the most effective and cost-efficient investments for the future.[2]

We call on you to champion ambitious, verifiable and internationally viable outcomes. These include, in particular, reliable funding, the effective implementation of the 30×30 target, effective benefit-sharing, science-based environmental policy – and the resolute phasing out of subsidies that harm biodiversity.

We, the signatory institutions, are working together to use our scientific expertise, innovative monitoring methods and internationally networked data infrastructures to enable a credible, evidence-based review of the implementation of the Global Nature Agreement, as well as to facilitate decisions on further implementation steps.

From a scientific perspective, we see an urgent need for action in several areas of negotiation at COP 17:

Closing the funding gap – reliably and transparently

Achieving the objectives of the KMGBF requires reliable long-term funding mechanisms. Transparent, verifiable roadmaps are crucial, as they build trust and make progress transparent.

As an influential member of the European Union, Germany bears a particular responsibility to ensure that the agreed increase in biodiversity spending in the EU budget from 7.5 per cent to 10 per cent (from 2026) is consistently implemented and accompanied by science-based, transparent monitoring. At the same time, subsidies that are harmful to biodiversity must be phased out gradually and in a socially balanced manner.

30×30 target: Secure quality

The target of effectively protecting 30 per cent of both land and marine areas by 2030 is one of the most important commitments under the Global Nature Pact.

What matters here is not merely the designated area, but its actual ecological effectiveness. To date, numerous protected areas have only fulfilled their protective function inadequately. Progress should therefore be consistently assessed in future on the basis of their demonstrable impact. This requires internationally comparable scientific standards and transparent monitoring.

Strengthening scientific infrastructure

At COP 17, the results of the first ‘Global Review of Collective Progress in Implementing the Framework, including the means of implementation, based on national reports and, where appropriate, other sources’ will be presented.

The monitoring, reporting and review mechanism of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) requires robust and globally comparable information. The implementation of the global nature agreement stands or falls on the quality of the available data. Only a credible, evidence-based review of implementation provides the basis for an honest assessment and – crucially – for deriving concrete actions on this basis to ensure we live in harmony with nature.

Natural history research museums make an indispensable contribution in this regard. They preserve scientific collections of global significance, possess unique taxonomic expertise, operate long-term research and data infrastructures, and provide curated datasets for research, policy-making and society. Collection-based natural history research is essential for understanding the causes of changes in biodiversity, as well as for making more reliable predictions and shaping future developments. Innovative monitoring methods now make it possible to record changes in biological diversity more precisely and quickly than ever before. They lay the foundation for transparently evaluating policy measures, assessing their effectiveness and managing investments in a traceable manner. These are key building blocks for ensuring that the Global Nature Agreement can achieve its full potential. The scientific infrastructure should be significantly strengthened and even better networked internationally.

Free access to digital sequence information

Digital sequence information (DSI) forms a key foundation for research and innovation, ranging from the conservation of biodiversity on land and in water, through medicine, agriculture and pharmaceuticals, to basic research.

Open, free and unrestricted access to this data must continue to be maintained. At the same time, there is a need for a binding, workable and globally effective mechanism for the sharing of benefits.

Scientific cooperation, capacity-building and technology transfer are already making a significant non-monetary contribution to benefit-sharing and should be explicitly recognised at COP 17. We welcome the establishment of the Cali Fund as an important step.

International credibility starts with us

The credibility of international agreements depends crucially on their objectives being consistently implemented at national level. From a scientific perspective, existing environmental and nature conservation standards must not be watered down, but must be further developed. The German Government’s ‘Natural Climate Protection’ action programme must be secured for the long term; synergies between agriculture and nature conservation must be consistently harnessed; and renaturation measures must be viewed as investments in safeguarding our natural resources for the long term. The extreme weather events of recent weeks serve as a stark reminder to us all that we must act swiftly and decisively.

We would like to thank you for your commitment and wish the German delegation every success in their negotiations in Yerevan. We are always available for further discussion.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Bernhard Misof (Director-General, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change)
Prof. Johannes Vogel, PhD (Director-General, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin)
Prof. Dr Klement Tockner (Director-General of the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research)
Prof. Dr Jörg Overmann (Director-General of the Bavarian State Natural History Collections)
Prof. Dr Lars Krogmann (Scientific Director of the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart)

[1] Johnson, Justin Andrew; Baldos, Uris; Cervigni, Raffaello; Chonabayashi, Shun; Corong, Erwin; Gavryliuk, Olga; Hertel, Thomas; Nootenboom, Christopher; Gerber, James; Ruta, Giovanni; Polasky, Stephen. 2021.The Economic Case for Nature: A Global Earth-Economy Model to Assess Development Policy Pathways © World Bank; https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/environment/publication/the-economic-case-for-nature

[2] WEF (2020): Nature Risk Rising: Why the Crisis Engulfing Nature Matters for Business and the Economy, https://www.weforum.org/publications/nature-risk-rising-why-the-crisis-engulfing-nature-matters-for-business-and-the-economy/
WEF (2020): New Nature Economy Report II: The Future of Nature and Business, https://www.weforum.org/publications/new-nature-economy-report-ii-the-future-of-nature-and-business/