Target 3 of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD’s) Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) prescribes that 30 per cent of the earth’s surface is protected by 2030. This entails increasing the current value of 17.5 per cent of land and 8.46 per cent of oceans. In December 2024, it will be two years since KMGBF was put in place and only six more years will remain to ensure that the target is met.

The most biodiverse areas on earth are those where Indigenous peoples and local communities live. The world recognizes the important role they play, but how and to what extent Indigenous peoples and local communities are involved in the progress of implementing Target 3 is still to be seen. How protected areas help the world meet the three goals set under the Convention on Biological Diversity is also to be seen.

Target 3 is ambitious, but are the efforts sufficient? This status report looks at the most important questions about protected areas and documents the progress.