By Leah Farquharson, International Advice Team
Our latest blog post, from Leah Farquharson, International Biodiversity Adviser in our International Advice Team, explores the 30by30 target of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and how it is re-defining Protected Areas.
In efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, protected areas play a leading role. They are one of the most established tools for conserving habitats and species and providing space for nature to recover. As part of a long-term commitment to nature, the UK has designated an extensive network of protected areas, underpinned by national and international designations and covering both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. These sites are often established to protect specific species or habitats and collectively form vital areas of refuge for some of the UK’s most important wildlife.
However, momentum is building towards a fundamentally new understanding of the role and purpose of protected areas.
A shifting perspective
Through the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the UK and Devolved Governments committed to the global ‘30by30’ target under Target 3, to ensure that at least 30 percent of land and sea is conserved through effectively managed, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) by 2030.
The 30by30 target represents a significant shift in how protected areas are understood and assessed. While previous international commitments focused primarily on the coverage or extent of protected areas only, Target 3 places equal emphasis on effective management, ecological representation and connectivity across the protected areas network.
Nature does not exist in static units but as a living, dynamic system of interconnected components that are continually shifting and adapting. Designation alone is no longer sufficient. Protected areas must move from being static lines on a map to active parts of a wider nature recovery system. The critical question, therefore, is whether these sites are genuinely protecting nature, both within their boundaries, and as part of wider landscape‑scale processes needed for nature to recover across the UK. We need a resilient protected areas network with targeted management and a reduction in pressures, supported by robust monitoring to track progress.
What counts towards the 30by30 target
These new ways of thinking about protected areas have been reflected in the UK’s first reporting of progress towards Target 3 of the GBF, captured in the UK Biodiversity Indicator (UKBI) ‘Extent and Condition of Protected Areas’. Historically, this indicator has included Landscape Designations (National Parks, National Landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding National Beauty in England and Wales) and National Scenic Areas in their entirety. However, some areas within these Landscape Designations do not meet the criteria for 30by30. After thoughtful consultation with the UK and Devolved Governments, it was agreed that, at present, it would not be appropriate to include these designations in the UK’s reporting under Target 3. Further assessments are ongoing to identify areas within these designations that do meet the 30by30 criteria, which will be included in future iterations of the indicator.
Assessing Protected Area effectiveness
Ensuring that protected areas deliver real benefits for biodiversity requires more than simply expanding coverage. As global commitments place stronger emphasis on the outcomes of protected areas, the ability to measure effectiveness has become essential.
Currently, in the absence of robust data on effectiveness, the UK Biodiversity Indicator (UKBI) ‘Extent and Condition of Protected Areas’ reports on the condition of Areas or Sites of Scientific Interest (A/SSSI). These sites are notified for the special habitats or species features they contain, and the indicator reports whether these features are in favourable condition or are unfavourable but recovering. However, at present this provides insight for only a relatively small proportion of protected areas, while broader assessments of effectiveness are still being developed.
JNCC has developed the Management Effectiveness of Protected and Conserved Areas (MEPCA) indicator, a tool designed to assess whether protected and conserved areas are achieving the conservation outcomes they were established for. Commissioned by Defra and tested across marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments, MEPCA goes beyond traditional process-based assessments by focusing on actual biodiversity outcomes and providing a consistent framework to assess management effectiveness across different contexts. By absorbing existing assessments into a standardised format and producing quantitative outputs, the indicator supports governments in determining whether protected areas are functioning as intended.
Work is now underway to incorporate MEPCA assessments into future iterations of this indicator.
The Role of OECMs
Governments are increasingly recognising that other areas of land and sea outside of protected areas offer an important role in conserving and recovering nature. Across the country, land managers, including farmers, community groups and conservation organisations are caring for landscapes that provide long-term meaningful benefits for wildlife. These areas can now contribute to the UK’s 30by30 target, and the Protected Areas UKBI, as a formally recognised ‘Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs)’: geographically defined places outside traditional protected areas that still deliver sustained, positive biodiversity outcomes.
Although impactful, the formal name may not inspire instant recognition, which is why clearer, more accessible terms such as Nature30 (Scotland) are emerging to help bring the concept to life for communities and land managers.
This marks a shift in how conservation efforts are recognised, bringing together efforts made by government, local government, NGOs and private landowners to make a collective impact on biodiversity.
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