Global biodiversity efforts remain off track to meet 2030 protection target

Wednesday 23 September 2026 - 15:59

By: Azzat Manal

Global biodiversity efforts remain off track to meet 2030 protection target

Governments around the world are falling behind on a landmark commitment to protect and conserve at least 30% of the planet’s land and oceans by 2030, according to a new assessment released ahead of the next United Nations biodiversity summit.

The 30×30 target was adopted in 2022 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a landmark international agreement aimed at slowing biodiversity loss, restoring ecosystems and strengthening conservation efforts worldwide. Despite progress in expanding protected areas, the latest assessment indicates that current commitments and implementation are not sufficient to meet the 2030 deadline.

The assessment by Campaign for Nature and Together for the Ocean estimates that, if governments fully implement their existing commitments, protected and conserved land and inland waters could reach around 27% by 2030. Ocean protection, however, is expected to remain considerably further behind, potentially reaching only about 12% by the end of the decade.

The gap is particularly significant in marine conservation. Together for the Ocean’s 2026 assessment estimates that only around 10% of the world’s ocean is currently designated as protected or conserved, highlighting the distance that remains before the 30% objective can be achieved. The report also stresses that formal designation alone does not guarantee effective protection, which requires adequate management, monitoring, enforcement and long-term financing.

Funding remains one of the central challenges. The new assessment estimates that between $100 billion and $180 billion is needed each year to put the world on track for the 2030 conservation objective, while current annual spending is estimated at roughly $24 billion. The financing shortfall is especially pronounced at sea, where about $16 billion a year is considered necessary compared with approximately $1.8 billion currently being spent.

Developing countries are expected to play a particularly important role because many contain biodiversity-rich forests, wetlands, coastal zones and other ecosystems. Conservation groups argue that international funding, stronger national implementation plans and greater support for local and Indigenous communities will be essential to translating global commitments into effective protection on the ground.

The assessment also calls for governments to increase the ambition of national conservation commitments, identify priority ecosystems, improve the management of existing protected areas and strengthen monitoring of biodiversity outcomes. It highlights the importance of moving beyond simply counting protected areas toward ensuring that those areas deliver measurable benefits for nature and communities.

The findings come ahead of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, scheduled to take place in Yerevan, Armenia, from October 19 to 30, 2026. The meeting will provide governments with an opportunity to review implementation of the global biodiversity framework and discuss measures to accelerate progress toward its targets.

Conservation organisations maintain that the 30×30 target remains achievable, but the remaining years of the decade will require faster implementation, stronger financial commitments and more effective protection of ecosystems. The assessment therefore places the focus on turning international promises into concrete, adequately financed conservation measures before the 2030 deadline.