Protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030

The goal to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 was set by the 2022 COP of the Convention on Biological Diversity in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. With the ocean covering approximately 360 million square kilometres, 30% of that comes to an enormous 108 million square kilometres. States have started establishing protected areas in waters under their jurisdiction but are making slow progress: just under 3% of the ocean falls under fully-protected zones and just over 8% in areas with some form of protection (you can find out where they are at the Marine Protected Atlas). Until now, the international community has found the challenge of establishing protected areas in international waters challenging (their failure to establish MPAs in the Antarctic is one such example). In order to reach 30% , a massive 11 million square kilometres of ocean needs to be protected every year until 2030. The new Treaty will help when it enters into force as it establishes a framework for the creation of High Seas Marine Protected Areas and a procedure which the international community can follow in order to reach this goal.