Governments face major gaps in funding and implementation as countries prepare to review progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Ahead of next month’s UN biodiversity summit in Yerevan, Armenia, a new assessment has warned that governments are off track to conserve at least 30% of the planet’s land and seas by 2030, with ocean protection lagging furthest behind.
The assessment by Campaign for Nature and Together for the Ocean found that about 20% of the world’s land and inland waters are designated as protected or conserved. If governments fully deliver on their existing quantified commitments, coverage could rise to around 27% by 2030, still short of the target.
Around 10% of the global ocean is currently designated for conservation. Existing quantified commitments would raise that figure to only about 12% by 2030. The researchers assessed just 3.5% of the ocean as effectively protected, using restrictions on destructive activities as their measure.
“The ocean protection gap is now the defining challenge for delivering 30×30,” said Lance Morgan, president of the Marine Conservation Institute. He called for protected areas to be effectively managed and funded.
Finance remains a major barrier
The assessment identified finance as one of the greatest barriers to meeting the target. It estimated that conservation efforts would require $100 billion to $180 billion annually, compared with the roughly $24 billion currently spent. Ocean protection alone needs around $16 billion a year, compared with estimated current spending of $1.8 billion.
Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, also drew attention to how existing public and private funds are allocated. Speaking at a September 11 press briefing following the Kunming Dialogue, she urged governments to examine whether investments, subsidies and public spending support or undermine efforts to halt biodiversity loss.
“The biggest elephant in the room of all of that is the misalignment of financial systems,” Schomaker said.
Focus turns to implementation
Governments adopted the 30×30 target in 2022 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which contains 23 targets for 2030 covering conservation, restoration, sustainable use, finance and harmful incentives.
As countries prepare for the framework’s first global review, more than 70% have submitted national reports and over 90% have established biodiversity targets aligned with it. COP17 will examine whether national commitments are ambitious enough and backed by the policies and funding needed to deliver the global targets.
The summit is scheduled for October 19–30 in Yerevan.
