COP17 puts Armenia’s environmental record in the spotlight

The Armenian government has celebrated hosting COP17 as an opportunity to establish the country as a leader in environmental protection. However, Armenia's own ecological record raises serious questions about its suitability for this role. When Yerevan was awarded the right to host the conference in 2024, authorities celebrated it as recognition of the country's environmental ambitions.

Armenia's environmental performance is particularly concerning. In Yale University's 2026 Environmental Performance Index, Armenia ranks 75th out of 177 countries. Its performance is especially poor on waste management (164th) and wastewater treatment (165th), pointing to serious shortcomings in basic environmental protection.

Mining challenges

A major obstacle to Armenia's environmental progress is its economy, in which mining plays an important role alongside ageing industrial facilities and inadequate regulation. The country's largest mining operations, including the Zangezur, Agarak and Teghut copper-molybdenum mines, use open-pit methods that generate large quantities of waste and pose serious pollution risks.

The World Bank has identified mining as a significant source of environmental pollution in Armenia. Open-pit gold mining has been licensed at Meghrasar, on land that originally overlapped with Arevik National Park before the government reduced the park's boundaries in 2015. The Artsvanik tailings reservoir, holding millions of tonnes of mining waste, has been linked to heavy-metal contamination in nearby waterways.

Economic conflicts

Armenia's dependence on Russian-linked businesses complicates environmental protection efforts. These companies are major investors, employers, and contributors to the state budget, giving the government powerful economic incentives to protect their operations. Russian-linked investors hold a controlling stake in the Zangezur copper-molybdenum complex, Armenia's largest taxpayer in the first half of 2026.

This conflict was evident just days before COP17, when Armenia inaugurated the controversial Amulsar gold mine. Environmental organizations have condemned the move, arguing it disregards environmental concerns under the Bern Convention. Human rights groups have documented intimidation and lawsuits targeting activists campaigning against the mine.

Global commitments

As Armenia seeks closer relations with the European Union, environmental progress becomes increasingly important. The EU–Armenia Strategic Agenda calls for stronger implementation of environmental impact assessment legislation, improvements to waste management, and action on air quality, water protection and industrial emissions.

At COP17, governments are reviewing progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. However, the State of Biodiversity Action report found that fewer than half of assessed national targets are on track. Financing remains a major obstacle, with developed countries providing about $16bn annually, falling short of the $20bn target for 2025.

The Cali Fund, established to collect $1bn annually from companies profiting from genetic data, has received just $6,000. As host of COP17, Armenia should demonstrate that the commitments being discussed apply to its own mining industry and environmental regulations, while participating governments should press for stronger environmental protections.