A large majority (eight in ten, or 79%) of the participants in a sustainability survey want swifter government action to protect the oceans, according to an analysis involving 20 countries released today.
In connection with the United Nations (UN) biodiversity summit, which begins next Monday in Yerevan, Armenia, the survey showed concern for the health of the oceans, at a time when more than 130 non-governmental organizations representing Indigenous peoples, scientists and youth movements have also called for swifter action.
The organizations, representing tens of millions of people, warn that the world is not on track to achieve the global target of protecting and conserving at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 (30×30) and issue a global appeal to governments to accelerate implementation.
Participating in this analysis were the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Indonesia.
The appeal, according to a press release issued today, follows the recent conclusions of the Global Biodiversity Convention’s Global assessment report on progress toward protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030.
The document notes that around 10% of the ocean is currently designated as protected or conserved, while existing national commitments would raise this figure to only 12% by 2030. Currently, only 3.5% of the ocean is assessed as effectively protected.
The civil society signatories warn that “implementation remains insufficient and unequal” and that “without a radical shift in scale and pace of action, the 30×30 commitment will not be met for the ocean.”
They urge governments to accelerate ocean protection, strengthen the management and enforcement of existing protected areas, respect the rights and leadership of Indigenous peoples and local communities, and mobilize the funding needed to achieve lasting conservation results.
Echoing the public demand for protection that works in practice, the signatories state: “A protected or conserved area must have real protection — protection that delivers the intended results for nature and for the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on a healthy ocean.”
The results of the survey, in which Portugal did not participate, reveal strong public expectations that governments close this gap. If 79% say governments need to act more quickly to protect the ocean, an even larger majority, 95%, says it is important that areas designated for ocean conservation be managed effectively, rather than merely protected on paper.
Nearly 60% of respondents said that trust in governments would be harmed if the designated areas could not provide meaningful protection.
COP17 will undertake the first global review of progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by countries in 2022.
In that year, the countries agreed on the 30×30 target to protect and conserve at least 30% of the land and oceans of the world by 2030.
The 17th United Nations Conference on Biodiversity, COP17, is taking place in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October, under the slogan “Taking Action for Nature.”
