To prevent mass extinctions and bolster resilience to climate change, scientists warn that we must protect at least 30 percent of our oceans, lands, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. To safeguard global biodiversity, the “30 by 30” initiative aims to protect 30 percent of land and oceans by 2030. However, commitments on paper are not enough. World leaders must act strategically in implementation to ensure the most crucial ecosystems are protected. Implementation policies for 30 by 30 must also avoid unintentional harm such as exacerbating conflict over resources, excluding Indigenous and local groups from land management, and neglecting environmental protections for the remaining 70 percent of land and oceans.

Increase Ambition and Action for Global Conservation Efforts

In 2010, world leaders committed to protecting 17 percent of land and 10 percent of the ocean by 2020 as part of the 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity, but they fell short. A 2020 report concluded that from 2010-2019, protected areas only increased from 14.1 percent to 15.3 percent on land, and from 2.9 percent to 7.5 percent in the ocean.

In January 2021, 50 countries committed to protecting 30 percent of the their land and ocean by 2030 as part of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People. These 50 countries collectively control:

• 30 percent of global terrestrial biodiversity (using vertebrates as a proxy)
• 25 percent of the world’s terrestrial carbon stores (biomass and soil)
• 28 percent of ocean biodiversity priority areas
• one-third of the ocean carbon stores

Today, more world leaders must join the High Ambition Coalition and each nation must strive to meet these targets as soon as possible. At a minimum, nations must commit to protecting 30 percent of their land and ocean by 2030 at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity taking place in October 2021 and May 2022.

Prioritize Biodiversity and Intact Ecosystems 

At first glance, it may look like the member states of the High Ambition Coalition could already be well on the way toward helping the world meet 30 by 30 targets. However, countries have discretion about which land and ocean areas are protected under their 30 by 30 commitments. There is no guarantee they will fully protect the key biodiversity areas and carbon stores identified above. The 30 by 30 focus cannot just be on the overall percentage of land and ocean protected. Policymakers must also consider the strategic location of protected areas.

Ideally, protection efforts will encompass a broad representation of species and ecosystems—a little bit of everything instead of only conserving barren rock or a single type of area. For example, while the United States protects 23 percent of its oceans, more than 99% of its Marine Protected Areas are in the remote Pacific. A variety of important ecosystems in other regions of the country remain unprotected.

Leaders must also prioritize the protection of intact wilderness, which are habitats that are not broken up by industrial infrastructure. Protecting these habitats can better support biodiversity because intact ecosystems provide huge benefits for carbon sequestration, resilience, and species persistence.

Protect Key Habitats from Destructive Industry Impacts

As part of their 30 by 30 commitments, world leaders must guard key habitats against destructive industrial impacts from forestry, mining, oil and gas, hydropower, and infrastructure. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is an example of an important ecosystem in need of protection. It is one of the world’s largest intact ecosystems remaining, with 19.6 million-acres of pristine habitat for polar bears, caribou, and migratory birds. In January, 430,000 of its acres were privately leased by the U.S. government, opening the refuge to oil and gas drilling. However, in concert with the United States’ rolling out its 30 by 30 plans, the Biden-Harris administration announced in August a new environmental review of oil and gas leasing in the refuge.

The Boreal Forest, spreading across parts of Canada, Russia, and Alaska, is another key habitat needing protection from the logging industry. It represents 30 percent of the total forested area in the world and the entire Canadian boreal stores over 300 billion tons of carbon, playing a critical role in protecting our climate from carbon emissions. During the last 20 years, 25.4 million acres (the size of Kentucky) has been cut down and the construction of 20,000 miles of logging roads have damaged the forest’s biodiversity and fragmented the ecosystem, making parts of the forest no longer intact.

However, protecting the environment from resource extraction can come at a price to those doing the protecting. According to Global Witness data, at least 212 people were killed in 2020 while defending land from industrial take-overs, with Indigenous people making up 40 percent of the victims.

Invest in Indigenous Initiatives

Indigenous communities often reside in or near areas that need to be protected and have some of the most effective conservation strategies. For instance, the majority of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples live in the Boreal Forest; their communities are pushing for the creation of new protected areas and managing existing protections. Researchers estimate that 37 percent of Earth’s remaining natural lands are managed by Indigenous peoples who, in some cases, risk their lives to stand up against poachers and others who encroach on their land for illegal resource extraction or degradation activities.

Scientific studies indicate that Indigenous peoples and local communities are usually more effective at implementing conservation than government-funded agencies. In Cabo Pulmo, Mexico local communities secured legal protection for and are reviving marine life and livelihoods that were once threatened by overfishing and irresponsible tourism. Studies from Brazil show that Indigenous people are the best stewards of the Amazon, but only when their property rights assured by civil authorities. When Indigenous people are afforded legal rights and instruments to enforce them, they are best positioned to defend their territories from encroachment and exploitation, ensuring conservation of protected areas.  

To successfully guarantee 30 by 30 progress, some countries must amend legal frameworks to support and protect Indigenous communities. For example, in Indonesia, the government must simplify and quicken bureaucratic processes to establish Indigenous land rights. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the government must recognize and support forestry management in areas where customary claims to forest land rights by Indigenous peoples remain unrecognized. If national parks or protected areas are set up without regard to Indigenous customary claims, then people could be displaced from their traditional lands. Not only would this deepen inequality, but 30 by 30 efforts would lose these communities’ experience and expertise on best practices for managing local ecosystems.

Without proper consultation from local and Indigenous communities, government-designated protected areas are unlikely to deliver effective protection for people, endangered species, and the planet. As world leaders implement 30 by 30 policies, they must include government resources to support Indigenous conservation—including by protecting Indigenous communities from violence and safeguarding Indigenous land rights.

Protect the Remaining 70 percent

Another potential drawback of the 30 by 30 initiative could be for policymakers to neglect environmental protection for the 70 percent of the earth not selected for the initiative. While the focus of 30 by 30 is to mobilize global leaders to protect and conserve a minimum of 30 percent of the world’s key habitats, they should also endeavor to implement policies that will simultaneously protect other lands and waters from environmental degradation and pollution.

The goal of 30 percent is a minimum target to mobilize immediate political action. Once this target is achieved, policymakers should maintain the momentum toward a new “50 by 50” initiative, because scientists have warned that to prevent catastrophe, at least 50 percent of the world’s lands and oceans must be protected by 2050.

The faster countries can surpass the 30 by 30 target, the better shape we will be in to slow global warming, stabilize the climate, and protect biodiversity. Policymakers should work with scientists and local experts—especially Indigenous communities—to identify and quickly protect the most crucial ecosystems for preserving biodiversity and sequestering carbon.

Policymakers will be most effective and will be least likely to cause further harm by including Indigenous and local communities. Policymakers will also be more effective pairing 30 by 30 initiatives with environmental protections that go beyond designated protected areas. By incorporating local knowledge and implementing broad environmental protections, policymakers would have the best chance of achieving equitable and effective conservation through 30 by 30 and beyond.