Whilst this represents considerable progress, an area approximately the size of the Indian Ocean still needs to be designated by 2030 if international ambitions for ocean protection are to be achieved.
In 2024, current records show that 8.6% of ocean and coastal areas globally were within documented protected and conserved areas. Over the past two years, the world has protected about 5 million square kilometers of ocean, an area bigger than the European Union.
Governments collectively committed to conserve 30% of Earth’s land and seas by 2030 in December 2022 at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). This commitment is referred to as Target 3, and is one of 23 targets agreed as urgent steps to tackle the global nature crisis under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). With this target, CBD Parties are committed to conserving nature through protected and conserved areas, including those that allow for the sustainable use of resources, recognizing Indigenous and traditional territories.
Increasing coverage of these areas is critical, but insufficient. The KMGBF highlights that protected and conserved areas must be effectively conserved and managed, and equitably governed. The Protected Planet Report 2024, the official progress report from the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is the most recent comprehensive analysis of global progress towards KMGBF Target 3. It found that data was insufficient to fully measure and understand the effectiveness of systems of protected and conserved areas. Only 1.3% of the ocean was covered by protected areas where management effectiveness had been assessed and reported.
Neville Ash, Director of UNEP-WCMC, said: “We all depend on the ocean for our survival; over half of the world’s oxygen is produced by life in the ocean. The great strides at the national level over the past two years to protect more than 10% of the marine realm is therefore a moment for celebration. But reaching this milestone is a reminder of how much work there is still to do. The coverage of protected and conserved areas at sea still needs to triple by 2030, and it is critical that both new and existing areas are managed effectively to deliver positive outcomes for people and nature.”
The new areas were included in the latest update this month to the World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas (WDPCA). The WDPCA brings together national datasets, alongside data on protected and conserved areas beyond national jurisdictions, to track global progress towards KMGBF Target 3. The WDPCA is a joint product of UNEP and the IUCN. It is maintained by the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) in collaboration with national governments and other stakeholders.
In the world’s previous biodiversity pledges, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, countries agreed to protect 10% of the ocean by 2020. Six years after the deadline, the world has achieved this important ocean protection target.
“Oceans are havens of biodiversity, providing food, resources, and livelihoods for millions, and are key to the survival and health of humanity. Hitting this important benchmark reminds us what can be achieved when the international community works together, using legal frameworks, scientific data, and community-based projects to realize global ambitions,” said IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar. “Indigenous Peoples steward critical marine and coastal ecosystems that are crucially important to safeguarding our oceans, alongside formally designated protected areas. Together, we have the skills, knowledge, and partnerships to equitably and meaningfully conserve 30% of the Earth by 2030.”
Huge Gaps in High Seas Coverage
In assessing the pace at which protected and conserved areas had been designated, the Protected Planet Report 2024 found that the strongest progress since 2020 had been in the ocean, but most of this was in national waters.
An estimated 95 percent of the habitat on Earth by volume is in the high seas. In these areas beyond national jurisdiction, however, coverage by protected and conserved areas is only 1.66%. This is despite the high seas comprising over 60% of the surface of the ocean.
The UN ‘High Seas’ Treaty came into force in January 2026, the first international agreement focused on protecting marine biodiversity in international waters. Two-thirds of the ocean is not controlled by any individual country and, therefore, is largely unprotected and unregulated. A key element of the Treaty is a mechanism to establish protected areas on the high seas.
Beyond Coverage: Effective Conservation Is Vital
Recent analyses using the MPA Guide have shown that many marine protected areas (MPAs) are not actively managed. Destructive activities may be taking place even in those areas that are actively managed, reducing the effectiveness of these areas for biodiversity conservation. Data on effective management and equitable governance remains sparse.
Governments and other stakeholders are encouraged to report on the effectiveness of protected and conserved areas to the Global Database on Protected Area Management Effectiveness (GD-PAME) under the Protected Planet Initiative to help fill this persistent knowledge gap.
Coordinated action is needed by CBD Parties, international organizations, regional bodies, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, donors, and technical partners to ensure that marine protected and conserved areas are sufficiently resourced and supported to be actively and adaptively managed and monitored.
The Protected Planet Report 2027 will provide the next official evaluation of global progress on all elements of Target 3.
