Unlocking 30x30: The global push to protect our wild spaces

This article appeared in issue 2 of ThisWildEarth. Read more stories like this by exploring our other publications.

Biodiversity loss is accelerating across land and sea. Insect populations are plummeting; vast swaths of wildlife-rich lands and waters are degraded or destroyed to make way for expanding agriculture, urban sprawl and other developments.

Recognising the threat, world leaders came together under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to chart an ambitious new course towards sustainability. Project 30x30's goal of protecting 30% of the planet's ecosystems by 2030 aims to halt and reverse biodiversity decline over the coming decade through coordinated global action. But how will the world achieve this?

Lagging on progress

By the end of September 2024, almost two years after the initial pledge, the WWF launched an online tracking tool that revealed concerning gaps in country commitments to 30x30. At the time, WWF Global Advocacy Head Bernadette Fischler Hooper expressed concerns. “We know change isn’t easy and countries face challenges such as a lack of funding, insufficient data and political instability. But there is a worrying gap between what was promised, and the plans put in place so far to reverse the loss of nature by 2030.”

New research published in March 2025 also revealed that no country is on track to meet all the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. African and Asian countries, despite their lower GDP, had the best progress on climate action and responsible consumption and production.

Reality or lofty ambitions?Global protected coverage has expanded significantly from just 2% in 1960 to 17% of land and 8% of oceans in 2022. The concern is that paper parks (parks marked on maps only) do not protect nature without proper resourcing, governance and community support over the long term. Where conservation clashes with local needs, poaching often emerges because of socioeconomic pressure. To foster long-term stewardship, empowering protected area stakeholders and surrounding communities through sustainable jobs and development will be crucial.

What countries are doing

Different countries are implementing strategies. New research suggests that large parts of Scotland's highlands could be good for rewilding as it would be a small change with a big impact. The same study indicated that almost a quarter of Europe is suitable for rewilding.

As part of 30x30, South African National Parks announced Vision 2040, an ambitious plan that includes Mega Living Landscapes (MLL) to create interconnected areas between parks and surrounding communities and landscapes. This approach guarantees that communities have fair access to opportunities and resources.

These landscapes also mean authorities and entities owning national parks, farmland, provincial and municipal land, communal land and business-owned land could explore improved means of co-existence and benefit sharing as part of the conservation estate. They can declare land under one entity, which would become an MLL, an anchor for local development, providing jobs, supporting local entrepreneurs, and fostering educational opportunities.

While the scale of the environmental crisis may seem daunting, and the ambition to meet global targets massive, the power to create small change still lies in everyone’s hands. The fight to protect our planet is not just a distant goal—it is something we can all contribute to daily, right where we are.

Check your country’s progress here: https://wwf.panda.org/act/nbsap_tracker_check_your_countrys_nature_progress/

Credit: Jadon Lem

ThisWildEarth

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