The "30 by 30" initiative aims to help governments protect 30% of Earth's land and ocean areas by 2030. This goal was suggested in a 2019 article titled "A Global Deal for Nature: Guiding principles, milestones, and targets," which emphasized the importance of protecting nature to help reduce climate change. The plan was started by the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People in 2020. By January 2021, more than 50 countries had agreed to support the initiative, and by October 2022, over 100 countries had joined.

In September 2021, $5 billion was announced to fund a project called "Protecting Our Planet Challenge" for this effort. In December 2022, the 30 by 30 goal was officially agreed to during the COP15 meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This agreement became part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which includes the G7 and European Union.

The initiative has raised questions about the rights of indigenous people.

Global

The "30 by 30" goal is the third among 23 global biodiversity targets for 2030 in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which was agreed upon in December 2022.

European Union

The European Commission's Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 was proposed on May 20, 2020, as the European Union's part of a global plan to protect nature after 2020. The strategy includes several goals and actions to be completed by 2030, such as:

• Expanding the European Union's protected areas on land and in the ocean, including growing Natura 2000 areas, and strictly protecting areas with high biodiversity and climate importance.
• Restoring damaged ecosystems and managing them in a way that helps the environment, by setting rules for nature restoration.
• Improving how the European Union manages biodiversity efforts, including more funding, better tracking of progress, and including biodiversity goals in decisions made by governments and businesses.

The plan aims to protect 30% of the EU's land by 2030 and 10% of that land with strict protection. However, as of 2023, the EU is not meeting these goals.

The biodiversity strategy is a key part of the European Green Deal and is also meant to help the environment recover after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July 2023, after much discussion, the European Parliament approved a version of the Nature Restoration Law, which aims to restore nature on 20% of the EU's land by 2030.

In 2024, the European Union passed the Nature Restoration Law, which requires restoring 20% of damaged ecosystems by 2030 and all damaged ecosystems by 2050.

United States

On January 27, 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order titled "Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad." The order included several plans to address the climate crisis. It asked federal departments to create a report within 90 days, suggesting ways the United States could work with state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, farmers, fishermen, and other groups to protect at least 30% of lands and waters by 2030.

On May 6, 2022, the Biden administration released a report called Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful. This report shared early ideas for a national campaign to protect and restore lands and waters that people rely on. The report was created by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Council on Environmental Quality.

The report included eight guiding principles:
– Work together with all people involved in conservation efforts.
– Protect lands and waters for the benefit of everyone.
– Support local communities in leading conservation projects.
– Respect Tribal sovereignty and support Tribal Nations' goals.
– Create jobs and support healthy communities through conservation.
– Respect private property rights and support voluntary conservation by landowners and fishermen.
– Use science to guide decisions.
– Use existing tools and strategies with flexibility.

The report also outlined six early focus areas:
– Create more parks and outdoor spaces in communities with limited access to nature.
– Support conservation efforts led by Tribal Nations.
– Work together to protect habitats and wildlife corridors.
– Improve access to outdoor recreation.
– Encourage and reward conservation efforts by fishermen, ranchers, farmers, and forest owners.
– Create jobs through restoration and resilience projects.

The report proposed using an online tool called the American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas to track progress. This tool would show information about lands and waters that are protected or restored. It also suggested an annual report to share updates on wildlife populations and conservation progress.

On October 7, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order stating the state’s goal to protect at least 30% of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030. The order asked state agencies to develop and share strategies by February 1, 2022. It also created a group called the California Biodiversity Collaborative, made up of government officials, Tribal representatives, experts, and other stakeholders.

On April 22, 2022, the California Natural Resources Agency released a report titled Pathways to 30×30 California. The report listed ten strategies to help California meet its biodiversity and protected area goals by 2030:
1. Speed up conservation efforts led by local communities.
2. Buy land strategically to protect important areas.
3. Increase voluntary agreements to protect land.
4. Improve protection of public lands and coastal waters.
5. Make permanent plans to reduce harm to the environment.
6. Expand restoration and stewardship projects.
7. Improve coordination between government groups.
8. Use investments to maximize conservation benefits.
9. Support additional conservation methods that work well together.
10. Monitor progress and adjust plans as needed.

Controversies and International Reactions

Some scientists have questioned whether the 30 by 30 initiative, which aims to protect 30% of the Earth's land and ocean by 2030, will effectively address the loss of different plants and animals. For example, Hélène Soubelet noted that in Germany, the number of insects in protected areas dropped by nearly 80% over the past 60 years, suggesting that protected areas may not always prevent biodiversity loss. Other researchers, such as Kareiva, Lalasz, and Marvier, pointed out that even though the number of protected areas increased from less than 10,000 in 1950 to over 100,000 in 2009, the rate at which wild species are disappearing has also increased. This suggests that simply creating more protected areas may not be enough to slow the loss of biodiversity.

S. Counsel argued that the 30% target may not be sufficient because it does not guarantee that the most important areas for protecting nature will be chosen. Wealthier countries might select large, scenic parks for protection, even if those areas are not the most critical for saving species.

Some environmental groups have criticized the 30% target as not based on scientific agreement. They argue that 30% is an arbitrary number and question why not 25% or 35% instead. Other researchers and groups suggest that 50% of land and ocean areas should be protected, as part of the "Half-Earth" project.

However, some scientists emphasize that the quality of protected areas is more important than the total number. They warn that expanding protected areas without increasing funding for enforcement and management could spread limited resources too thin, making conservation efforts less effective. These poorly managed areas are sometimes called "paper parks" because they are officially protected but lack real protection against illegal activities like poaching or logging. In some cases, expanding protected areas may still help biodiversity if threats are focused near the edges of reserves, creating safe core areas for wildlife.

The 30 by 30 plan has also been criticized for potentially harming Indigenous communities. Some groups, including Amnesty International and the Rainforest Foundation UK, have raised concerns that the plan could lead to the forced displacement of Indigenous people or the misuse of their lands under the name of conservation. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs called the plan "green colonialism," arguing that it ignores the rights of Indigenous peoples.

At the COP15 conference, 196 countries discussed the 30 by 30 target, but opinions were divided. The final agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, was signed by all countries except the United States and the Vatican. A delegate from the Democratic Republic of the Congo objected to the agreement, saying it lacked enough funding. After a delay, the agreement was passed due to a legal technicality. Delegates from the DRC, Cameroon, and Uganda expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. The DRC later announced it would not recognize the agreement as valid.