The drive to conserve our planet's lands and waters

In line with Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, IUCN is a leading advocate to conserve 30% of the planet’s terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems by 2030.

30x30 represents a global challenge to achieve effective area-based conservation at considerable scale. It also requires countries around the world to identify, recognise, and create a diverse array of protections - from justly governed State national parks, to recognising and promoting the rights and contributions of Indigenous lands and traditional territories, to protected underwater wrecks, surf breaks, urban green spaces, and a lot more in between!

Our team’s decades-long experience in establishing and working with protected and conserved areas across the planet makes IUCN a key actor in achieving this global goal.

Ensuring Effective Conservation

The challenge to meet 30x30 is matched by the need to ensure that protected and conserved areas globally, both new and existing, meet basic standards for fair and effective conservation.

Through the IUCN Green List, protected and conserved areas can both self-evaluate and become certified as having met this comprehensive Standard.

Supporting local changemakers

Through programmes such as BIOPAMA and BEST, the Protected and Conserved Areas Team at IUCN has established itself as a key global grant-maker to NGOs, communities and academic institutions working to preserve our planet.

Action at all levels

Whilst much of the team is based at IUCN’s headquarters in Gland, Switzerland, we enjoy a close partnership with our regional offices around the world. This includes team members stationed at country and regional offices, who provide hands-on assistance to project implementation in their regions and enable IUCN’s work with protected and conserved areas to continue to connect to local and global realities.