STATEMENT
United States Joins Coalition of Countries Pushing for Global Goal to Protect at least 30% of the Earth by 2030
Palau (14 April 2022)— At the Our Ocean Conference in Palau today, the US announced it officially joined the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People, a group of more than 90 countries encouraging the adoption of the global goal to protect and conserve at least 30% of the planet— land and sea — by 2030, commonly referred to as “30x30.”
Scientists have issued repeated warnings that nature is in a state of crisis, threatened by habitat loss, pollution, overexploitation, invasive species, and climate change. The ongoing and rapid loss of natural areas across the world poses a grave threat to the health and security of all living things. However, overwhelming scientific evidence shows that conserving at least 30% of our global land and ocean can not only curb biodiversity loss and prevent extinctions but also store carbon, help prevent future pandemics, and bolster economic growth.
The Biden administration has already pledged to conserve 30% of the United States’ land and sea; it is now pushing for the goal to be adopted at the global scale. The announcement follows the Biden administration’s launch yesterday of a $1 billion program—called the America the Beautiful Challenge—to advance its national 30x30 goal.
The United States is considered a “megadiverse” country, one of 17 globally that harbor a large number of species, especially large numbers of endemic species.
The global 30x30 goal has been endorsed by the G7 and is currently a centerpiece of a UN Convention on Biological Diversity agreement under consideration, known as the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework is considered to be as important to the fate of the planet as the Paris climate agreement.
The HAC is made up of a diversity of members, including nations from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America.
To note, 30x30 is proposed as a global target, as countries will have different opportunities for biodiversity conservation depending on the particular circumstances in their national territory. It is appropriate that it be a sovereign decision made in conjunction with the best science and respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Brian O’Donnell, Director, Campaign for Nature, said:
By joining the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, the United States is demonstrating global leadership for nature protection. We know that many of the species that we treasure in America, including birds, whales and caribou migrate from other countries. Intact forests in the Amazon and Congo basins are essential in mitigating climate change globally. It’s imperative that the world works together to address the crisis facing nature. We are grateful for the international nature conservation leadership that the Biden administration has announced today and hope that other countries will join in to support the essential global target to protect and conserve at least 30% of the world’s lands and oceans by 2030.
Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer in Residence, said:
“The US has a long tradition of protected areas, from the first National Park in the world created in 1872 to the largest Marine National Monuments in the Pacific Ocean. But until recently, the US had no clear vision for the future of nature. Today, this changes as the US joins the group of leading nations supporting the global 30x30 target. If the US is leading in nature conservation, many other countries will follow.”
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About Campaign for Nature
The Campaign for Nature works with scientists, Indigenous Peoples, and a growing coalition of nearly 100 countries around the world who are calling on policymakers to commit to clear and ambitious targets to be agreed upon at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming, China in 2022 to protect at least 30% of the planet by 2030 and work with Indigenous leaders to ensure full respect for Indigenous rights.
Contact:
Kirsten Weymouth
kweymouth@ngs.org
+1 703.928.4995 in Washington