On Friday 16 October 2026, Greenpeace Luxembourg called for action on four priorities ahead of Luxembourg’s participation at the COP17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) from Monday 19 to Friday 30 October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia.
In a press release, Greenpeace said it is calling on governments to adopt an ambitious roadmap, backed by concrete measures to address delays in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022, and outlined four action priorities:
Unlock public funding for biodiversity: Greenpeace is calling for progressive environmental taxation, the reform or removal of subsidies that harm ecosystems, the application of the polluter-pays principle to the most destructive sectors, and action to combat illicit financial flows. It is also calling for sovereign debt cancellation for countries whose debt burdens are unsustainable. So-called “biodiversity credits”, as well as offsetting mechanisms, cannot be considered a lasting and reliable solution to the structural funding shortfall.
Recognise the rights and role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities: Greenpeace is calling for the official recognition of their territories as conservation areas, legal protection of their customary land rights, free, prior and informed consent for all development projects, and protection for environmental defenders. At least 20% of the funding allocated to them should be directly accessible to Indigenous communities.
Ensure forest protection: To achieve the target of protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030, Greenpeace is calling on Luxembourg to seize opportunities to ensure the effective protection of forests and oceans, which are essential for biodiversity and the fight against climate change. This includes tackling the main drivers of deforestation, including the expansion of industrial livestock farming. Luxembourg, which is preparing to host the financial arm of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), must also ensure that its own financial centre operates consistently with these objectives, given that it hosts holding companies linked to forest destruction, such as JBS, the world's largest meat producer.
Ensure ocean protection: A few months before the first Conference of the Parties to the global oceans treaty (BBNJ Agreement), Luxembourg can actively contribute to the creation of high-seas marine sanctuaries to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030. From January 2027, it will be able to participate in efforts to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) and their management plans. To coincide with the opening of COP17 on Monday 19 October, Greenpeace International is publishing the report “Well Connected: Protecting the Atlantic High Seas Through an Ocean-Wide Sanctuary Network”, which maps a network of marine protected areas covering 30% of the Atlantic Ocean.
Greenpeace stressed that COP17 must turn international commitments into funded, binding measures that respect human rights. The objective is clear: implementation of global commitments must now be accelerated to achieve the targets set for 2030.
“Luxembourg may have a small land area, but concrete action can contribute to biodiversity protection on a much larger scale. Participating in the creation of MPAs in international waters or ending the unconditional welcome given to holding companies belonging to businesses such as JBS would be decisive steps,” said Altynaï Bidaubayle, Campaign Officer at Greenpeace Luxembourg.
