Based on this target, Iran will identify subsidies and financial incentives — particularly in the energy, water, and agriculture sectors — that are harmful to biodiversity, and phase out, reform, or redirect them in a fair and equitable manner, while strengthening positive incentives for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. This builds on Iran's existing experience with large-scale subsidy reform, including its 2010 Targeted Subsidy Reform Plan, which restructured energy and food subsidies nationally, though not originally designed with biodiversity objectives in mind. The national target reorients this reform experience toward an explicit biodiversity lens, in a proportionate, just, and socially protective manner consistent with the approach used in past cash-transfer compensation schemes.
- Identifying and planning measures to minimize biodiversity-harmful incentives and subsidies, while establishing related positive incentive mechanisms
- Eliminating, phasing out, or reforming harmful incentives and subsidies identified and planned for action, while creating incentive mechanisms for biodiversity conservation, in a fair and equitable way
- Establish cross-sectoral coordination (energy, finance, agriculture, environment) given that harmful subsidies span multiple sectors
- Integrate biodiversity considerations into future subsidy and fiscal policy planning
- Track and report the value of harmful subsidies reformed or eliminated annually
| Global Targets | Degree of Alignment |
GBF-T18. Reduce harmful incentives by at least $500 billion per year GBF-T18. Reduce harmful incentives by at least $500 billion per yearIdentify by 2025, and eliminate, phase out or reform incentives, including subsidies, harmful for biodiversity, in a proportionate, just, fair, effective and equitable way, while substantially and progressively reducing them by at least 500 billion United States dollars per year by 2030, starting with the most harmful incentives, and scale up positive incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. | High |
GBF-T19. Financial resources increased to $200 billion per year, including $ 30 billion through international finance GBF-T19. Financial resources increased to $200 billion per year, including $ 30 billion through international financeSubstantially and progressively increase the level of financial resources from all sources, in an effective, timely and easily accessible manner, including domestic, international, public and private resources, in accordance with Article 20 of the Convention, to implement national biodiversity strategies and action plans, by 2030 mobilizing at least 200 billion United States dollars per year, including by:
(a) Increasing total biodiversity related international financial resources from developed countries, including official development assistance, and from countries that voluntarily assume obligations of developed country Parties, to developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, to at least US$ 20 billion per year by 2025, and to at least US$ 30 billion per year by 2030;
(b) Significantly increasing domestic resource mobilization, facilitated by the preparation and implementation of national biodiversity finance plans or similar instruments according to national needs, priorities and circumstances;
(c) Leveraging private finance, promoting blended finance, implementing strategies for raising new and additional resources, and encouraging the private sector to invest in biodiversity, including through impact funds and other instruments;
(d) Stimulating innovative schemes such as payment for ecosystem services, green bonds, biodiversity offsets and credits, benefit-sharing mechanisms, with environmental and social safeguards;
(e) Optimizing co-benefits and synergies of finance targeting the biodiversity and climate crises;
(f) Enhancing the role of collective actions, including by indigenous peoples and local communities, Mother Earth centric actions[1] and non-market-based approaches including community based natural resource management and civil society cooperation and solidarity aimed at the conservation of biodiversity;
(g) Enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of resource provision and use.
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[1] Mother Earth-centric actions: Ecocentric and rights-based approach enabling the implementation of actions towards harmonic and complementary relationships between peoples and nature, promoting the continuity of all living beings and their communities and ensuring the non-commodification of environmental functions of Mother Earth. | Medium |
GBF-T07. Pollution reduced, halving nutrient loss and pesticide risk GBF-T07. Pollution reduced, halving nutrient loss and pesticide riskReduce pollution risks and the negative impact of pollution from all sources, by 2030, to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, considering cumulative effects, including: reducing excess nutrients lost to the environment by at least half including through more efficient nutrient cycling and use; reducing the overall risk from pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals by at least half including through integrated pest management, based on science, taking into account food security and livelihoods; and also preventing, reducing, and working towards eliminating plastic pollution. | Medium |
GBF-T10. Areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry are managed sustainably GBF-T10. Areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry are managed sustainablyEnsure that areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry are managed sustainably, in particular through the sustainable use of biodiversity, including through a substantial increase of the application of biodiversity friendly practices, such as sustainable intensification, agroecological and other innovative approaches contributing to the resilience and long-term efficiency and productivity of these production systems and to food security, conserving and restoring biodiversity and maintaining nature’s contributions to people, including ecosystem functions and services . | Medium |
GBF-T16. Sustainable consumption choices are enabled, and food waste reduced by half GBF-T16. Sustainable consumption choices are enabled, and food waste reduced by halfEnsure that people are encouraged and enabled to make sustainable consumption choices including by establishing supportive policy, legislative or regulatory frameworks, improving education and access to relevant and accurate information and alternatives, and by 2030, reduce the global footprint of consumption in an equitable manner, including through halving global food waste, significantly reducing overconsumption and substantially reducing waste generation, in order for all people to live well in harmony with Mother Earth. | Medium |
GBF-T20. Capacity-building and development, technology transfer, and technical and scientific cooperation for implementation is strengthened GBF-T20. Capacity-building and development, technology transfer, and technical and scientific cooperation for implementation is strengthenedStrengthen capacity-building and development, access to and transfer of technology, and promote development of and access to innovation and technical and scientific cooperation, including through South-South, North-South and triangular cooperation, to meet the needs for effective implementation, particularly in developing countries, fostering joint technology development and joint scientific research programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and strengthening scientific research and monitoring capacities, commensurate with the ambition of the goals and targets of the framework. | Medium |
It reflects national circumstances, priorities and capabilities by building directly on Iran's own experience with large-scale subsidy reform, particularly the 2010 Targeted Subsidy Reform Plan, rather than adopting an externally imposed reform model. The target upholds the right to development by framing the reform of harmful subsidies as compatible with, rather than opposed to, continued economic development, redirecting rather than simply eliminating support in ways that could undermine national growth objectives. It applies a human rights-based approach by placing fairness and equity at the center of the reform process, drawing on lessons from past compensation mechanisms, such as cash transfers to vulnerable households, to ensure that the transition away from harmful subsidies does not disproportionately burden low-income populations. The target promotes a whole-of-government approach, recognizing that harmful subsidies span multiple sectors and requiring coordinated action among ministries responsible for energy, finance, agriculture and environment to identify, reform and monitor these incentives coherently. It supports access to financial resources by linking the redirection of harmful subsidies to the mobilization of financing for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, consistent with Article 11 of the Convention on incentive measures. Finally, the target reflects cooperation and synergies through potential engagement with international technical expertise on energy pricing and subsidy reform, drawing on experience gained through past national and international collaboration in this area.
This national target aims to identify and phase out or reform subsidies and financial incentives that are harmful to biodiversity, while strengthening positive incentives for conservation and sustainable use, in a manner that is proportionate, fair, effective, and equitable. It draws on Iran's substantial national experience in large-scale subsidy reform, particularly in the energy sector, and reorients this experience toward biodiversity objectives that were not the focus of earlier reforms. The target recognizes that reform must be sequenced and socially protective, building on lessons learned from past compensation mechanisms, to ensure that the transition away from harmful subsidies does not disproportionately burden vulnerable populations. It further supports the development of positive incentive mechanisms to actively reward conservation-compatible behavior, complementing the removal of harmful incentives with the promotion of beneficial ones, consistent with Article 11 of the Convention.