Key UN ocean target set to be missed by EIGHT decades, report reveals 

As talks get underway at the UN Biodiversity COP16 in Cali, Colombia, a Greenpeace International report released today warns that at the current rate of progress, the 30×30 nature target agreed by all governments at the previous nature summit won’t be achieved at sea until 2107.[1][2] 

The report comes as campaigners from Greenpeace UK have written to ministers urging the UK government to take a leading role at the Cali biodiversity talks by pushing for ambitious action to put targets back on track. 

The Greenpeace International report, ‘From commitment to action: Achieving the 30×30 target through the Global Ocean Treaty’, details progress made so far towards the goal and sets out the key obstacles preventing faster progress. The findings are damning: almost nothing has been done since the target was agreed.

Key findings from the report include:

• In the 32 years since the Rio Earth Summit, where the Convention for Biological Diversity was established, less than 3% of the world’s ocean has been fully protected from human activities. This includes less than 1% of the high seas – the vast areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction. 
• In the UK, only two of our 386 marine protected areas (MPAs) are fully protected from all fishing activities. The remaining 384 MPAs permit a variety of fishing activities, including many that allow for bottom-towed gear.
• The equivalent of more than 50 MPAs the size of the UK need to be established every year – one per week – between now and the end of 2030 to meet the global target.

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and is falling behind on its biodiversity targets. In their letter to foreign secretary David Lammy and environment secretary Steve Reed as talks begin, Greenpeace UK are calling on the government to “use this crucial moment to drive forward ambitious global action on nature restoration and protection” by:

• Ensuring the UK is contributing fairly to funding global biodiversity protection
• Announcing a timeline to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty, and commit to ratifying the Treaty no later than June 2025. 
• Setting out an urgent national plan for restoring nature in the UK and meeting our commitment to protect 30% of UK land and sea by the end of the decade.

On Saturday ahead of the conference Greenpeace activists in 12 countries launched creative visual protests calling on countries to protect nature and restore biodiversity, including projections on iconic global landmarks such as London’s Tower Bridge featuring emotional messages from citizens demanding urgent action.

Elena Polisano, Head of Oceans at Greenpeace UK said: 

“There’s a huge amount at stake in these talks. The parlous state of nature, at home and internationally, has never been more obvious. And yet far too often we’re stalling or moving backwards on the vital measures and targets we need to be hitting to turn the tide. 

“The UK government must be clear-eyed about the challenge we face and what needs to be done. They have a real opportunity to show leadership at home and on the world stage. Whether it’s funding global biodiversity protection, finally ratifying the Global Ocean Treaty or bringing forward an urgent plan to restore UK nature – there are clear steps they must take now to show they mean business. Get this right and we’ll unlock the huge benefits for people and our climate of a world where nature can flourish.” 

Megan Randles, policy advisor, Greenpeace UK, attending the Biodiversity COP16, said:

“We are six years from the end of 2030 and yet almost no progress has been made towards protecting 30% of the world’s ocean. At the current rate, we won’t hit 30% protection at sea until the next century.

“A healthy ocean is vital for millions of people and for protecting biodiversity from human pressures and climate change. Where is the ambition? Where are the ocean champions? This objective can only be achieved with great efforts both in territorial waters and on the high seas. Governments must accelerate the pace of ratification to bring the Global Ocean Treaty to life in 2025. This is the only way to keep the 30×30 target within reach.“

“The level of protection determines the success of an MPA, so the new sanctuaries must be fully or highly protected to be effective. It is critical to protect the most ecologically valuable 30%, not the most politically convenient or easiest 30%. They also must be established in a manner that supports the formation of an ecologically representative and interconnected network and to recognise the role and rights of Indigenous peoples and coastal communities.”[3]

ENDS

Photo and video of the protests – including the projection on Tower Bridge in London – will be available from the Greenpeace Media Library from Saturday onwards. Due to actions happening in 3 different time zones, images and video footage will be updated until 20 October. 

Contacts: 

Greenpeace UK press office – press.uk@greenpeace.org – +44 (0)20 7865 8255

Magali Rubino, Global Media Lead, Greenpeace Protect the Oceans campaign, Greenpeace France: magali.rubino@greenpeace.org +33 7 78 41 78 78 (GMT+1)

In Cali for the CBD COP16: Gaby Flores, cflores@greenpeace.org 

Notes:

Megan Randles and other Greenpeace spokespeople and partners attending the UN Biodiversity COP16 are available for interview. 

[1] Two years ago, during the UN Biodiversity COP15, states agreed on a target of protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 (30×30), a figure supported by scientists for several years.

[2] The full report “Achieving the 30×30 target through the Global Ocean Treaty” is available here

[3]  Countries must implement the agreement to protect at least 30% of national waters by 2030, ensuring that unsustainable extractive industries are banned and that local communities are central to decision making in marine conservation policies, including marine spatial planning and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).

[4] Full letter available here