By William Abala
A new report warns that global efforts to protect oceans are falling short, risking failure in meeting the 30×30 conservation target by 2030.
The report, “Assessing Progress Toward the 30×30 Target for the Ocean“, issued in the run-up to the upcoming COP16 UN Biodiversity Conference, sends a dire warning to the global community: we are failing in our race to protect the world’s oceans.
Released by Metabolic Consulting in partnership with the Bloomberg Ocean Fund, the Marine Conservation Institute, and SkyTruth, the report underscores that the world is significantly off track in meeting the ambitious 30×30 goal set in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
This 30×30 commitment aims to protect and conserve at least 30% of the Earth’s land and ocean by 2030 to stem the loss of biodiversity, a task deemed critical for addressing the intertwined crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
However, with just over 8.3% of the global marine areas protected and only 2.8% of these offering effective protection, the scale of the challenge remains staggering.
If current trends continue, only 9.7% of the oceans will be protected by 2030, a figure far short of the 30% target, a sobering realization that has put governments on alert ahead of the October conference.
The Ocean’s Vital Role in the Earth’s Biosphere
The ocean, covering 70% of our planet’s surface and containing over 95% of the biosphere, is a vast and indispensable part of Earth’s ecological and climate systems.
From shallow coastal habitats like coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds to the mysterious depths of the deep sea, the marine environment hosts a wealth of biodiversity, many aspects of which are still largely unexplored.
But beyond its biodiversity, the ocean plays a role in regulating the global climate.
As the planet’s largest natural reservoir of carbon, the ocean stores 15 times more carbon dioxide than terrestrial ecosystems, including forests and soils.
This makes marine ecosystems crucial for moderating the impacts of climate change by sequestering carbon and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
The deep sea, in particular, is essential to these functions, hosting between 500,000 and 10 million species that contribute to biogeochemical cycles, including nutrient regeneration.
The report warns that failure to protect the ocean not only threatens marine life but also jeopardizes the services that these ecosystems provide, from food security to climate regulation.
Human Pressures and Climate Change are Escalating
Human activities are exacerbating the degradation of marine ecosystems.
Overfishing, destructive fishing practices, pollution from industrial waste and agricultural runoff, and habitat destruction from coastal development are major contributors to the rapid decline of marine biodiversity.
Invasive alien species introduced through shipping and other human activities further destabilize fragile ecosystems, while the deep-sea mining industry is poised to expand, threatening the largely unknown biodiversity of the ocean floor.
Climate change adds additional, often unpredictable, pressures.
Rising ocean temperatures, driven by increased greenhouse gas emissions, are pushing marine ecosystems to their limits.
Coral reefs, which provide habitats for over 25% of marine species, are especially vulnerable.
According to the report, more than 60% of the world’s coral reefs are already under threat, and this figure is expected to rise to 90% by 2030.
Seawater acidification, a consequence of increased atmospheric CO2, is also causing significant damage.
The absorption of carbon dioxide by the ocean leads to the formation of carbonic acid, which disrupts marine organisms, particularly those that rely on calcium carbonate to build their shells and skeletons, such as mollusks and corals.
These changes have far-reaching implications for marine food webs and the overall health of ocean ecosystems.
Sea-level rise, driven by the melting of polar ice caps, is already altering coastal habitats, leading to the loss of mangroves, salt marshes, and other vital ecosystems that act as buffers against storm surges and provide crucial nursery grounds for marine life.
The report highlights that with each passing year, the impacts of climate change on the ocean become more severe, making the need for immediate and effective conservation measures all the more pressing.
The Kunming-Montreal Commitment: A Race against Time
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted during COP15 in December 2022, was hailed as a breakthrough for biodiversity conservation.
Its 30×30 target – to conserve at least 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030 – became a rallying point for governments, conservationists, and civil society.
But two years after the adoption of the GBF, the new report reveals that progress on ocean conservation has been sluggish.
The authors of “Assessing Progress Toward the 30×30 Target for the Ocean” emphasize that while 8.3% of the world’s marine areas are reported as protected, only 2.8% have been assessed as effectively protected.
This effectiveness gap is most glaring in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean, where, although 26.6% of ocean areas are designated as MPAs, only 2.5% are considered to provide meaningful protection.
Similarly, North America and Europe have high levels of marine protection on paper, but a much smaller portion of these areas are effectively safeguarded.
The report points out that achieving the 30×30 target requires not just the designation of new MPAs but also ensuring that these areas are managed in a way that delivers real conservation outcomes.
This involves higher standards of regulation and enforcement, better ecological representation, and the restoration of degraded ecosystems.
The High Seas: A Frontier in Ocean Conservation
One of the most challenging aspects of meeting the 30×30 target is the conservation of the high seas – the vast areas of the ocean that lie beyond the jurisdiction of any single country.
The high seas cover nearly half of the planet, but only 1.4% of these waters are under some form of protection, and less than 1% are effectively protected.
The adoption of the High Seas Treaty, also known as the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is a critical step toward rectifying this gap.
The treaty, which has yet to be fully ratified, will provide a legal framework for the creation of MPAs in international waters and establish mechanisms for their governance.
But the report warns that securing the 60 ratifications needed for the treaty to enter into force is just the first step.
Governments must then work together to identify and protect ecologically significant areas of the high seas, and ensure that these protections are adequately resourced.
Without significant area-based protections in the high seas, the report cautions, it will be impossible to meet the 30×30 target.
The high seas are home to many unique ecosystems, including hydrothermal vents, seamounts, and deep-sea coral gardens, which are critical for the planet’s biodiversity and for the functioning of the global climate system.
Protecting these areas is essential not just for marine life, but for the health and balance of the planet as a whole.
Financing and Accountability: Closing the Resource Gap
One of the biggest obstacles to effective ocean conservation is the lack of sufficient funding. The report highlights that while global governments currently allocate about $68 billion annually toward biodiversity conservation, this figure must rise to $200 billion by 2030 to meet the targets of the GBF.
Furthermore, wealthy nations must fulfill their commitments to support developing countries, which often lack the resources to manage large-scale conservation efforts.
Under the GBF, developed countries have pledged to deliver at least $20 billion annually to developing nations by 2025, rising to $30 billion by 2030. However, these commitments are not yet being met.
The report calls for the mobilization of more resources, both financial and technical, to ensure that the world’s oceans are protected for future generations.
The report stresses that governments must be held accountable for their conservation commitments, particularly in terms of ensuring that MPAs are effectively managed.
A Call to Action Ahead of COP16
As the world prepares for COP16, the report serves as a wake-up call for governments and conservationists alike.
The ocean is under unprecedented pressure, and the window for action is rapidly closing.
The stakes could not be higher: failure to protect the ocean will have devastating consequences not only for marine biodiversity but also for the millions of people who rely on the ocean for food, livelihoods, and climate regulation.
But time is running out, and the international community must act now if we are to meet the 30×30 target and secure a future in which humanity lives in harmony with nature.
In the words of the report’s authors, “There’s no time to rest when more than 60% of coral reefs that host over 25% of marine life are threatened — 90% will be in danger by 2030.”
COP16 will be a crucial moment for the world’s leaders to demonstrate their commitment to ocean conservation. Whether they rise to the challenge remains to be seen, but the message from “Assessing Progress Toward the 30×30 Target for the Ocean” is clear: the ocean cannot wait.
