Policy Watch — Wild Earth Watch

The Framework

In December 2022, 196 countries adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) — the most significant global biodiversity policy agreement since the 2010 Aichi Targets, which were widely acknowledged to have been missed. The GBF sets four overarching goals for 2050 and 23 specific targets for 2030, including the widely cited "30x30" commitment to protect 30% of the world's land and ocean by 2030.

Established fact

Target 2 of the framework specifically commits signatories to bringing at least 30% of degraded ecosystems under effective restoration by 2030 — a distinct, and less publicly discussed, commitment from the 30% protection target.

Source: UNEP; Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, 2022

Tracking Progress

Dec 2022196 countries adopt the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15.

Feb 2025Parties meet in Rome to resolve outstanding questions on funding mechanisms (Global Environment Facility) and monitoring/reporting methodology.

2025Global marine protection reaches approximately 9.6%, up from 8.4% in 2024 — progress, but far short of the 30% target with under five years remaining.

2026COP17, the next formal review conference, scheduled for Yerevan, Armenia.

Goal, Method, Outcome

GoalHalt and reverse global biodiversity loss by 2030 through a coordinated international framework with specific, numeric, monitorable targets — a deliberate contrast to the more aspirational 2010 Aichi Targets.

MethodBinding national commitments (National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans) reported against a shared monitoring framework, with periodic Conference of the Parties (COP) review meetings to assess collective progress.

Measured outcome so farMeasurable but insufficient progress on ocean protection (1.2 percentage-point gain in 2025); land protection remains near 17.6%, also short of target, with under five years left to close a substantial gap.

Why This Page Exists

Editorial analysis

International biodiversity agreements generate significant media coverage at the moment of signing, then are rarely revisited publicly until the next summit. Wild Earth Watch intends to keep updating this page against actual measured progress between COPs, rather than treating 2022's agreement itself as the achievement.

Uncertainty & Evidence Gaps

The GBF's monitoring framework itself was still being finalized as of the February 2025 Rome session, meaning consistent, comparable national reporting is not yet fully in place — some current progress figures rely on independent tracking organizations (such as the Marine Conservation Institute) rather than official GBF reporting mechanisms.