How we can protect nearly a third of the planet’s land as wildlife habitats

Photo: Pixabay/12019

As the climate continues to change, its effects are exacerbated by other man-made crises: biodiversity loss, massive pollution of air and water, and the failure of megacorporations to abide by their sustainability goals. Each of these issues requires specific attention with unique approaches.

In this spirit, the United Nations has created an action plan to save the planet’s habitats by 2030. What are the details of this initiative, and is it practical enough to work?

Humans have used more resources than the world can replenish. That’s why the UN declared the next era as the Decade of Restoration to save 30% of all environments in the Global Biodiversity Framework catapulted by the High Ambition Coalition.

Each protected space would require investments of $103 billion-$178 billion yearly, depending on the area. The movement seeks to preserve land and aquatic habitats, notably ones central to economic betterment and encouraging biodiversity.

Similar efforts were catalyzed in 2010 called the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. There were improvements, but more was needed. It’s vital to understand what the world is dealing with regarding land destruction and protection:

• Over 16% of land and almost 8% of ocean and coasts are protected.
• Humans have already negatively affected most of the world’s land and water.
• Development takes a football field’s worth of American land every 30 seconds.

The plan works by forcing wealthier countries to participate in helping developing nations by pulling from funds assigned for natural preservation. It also discusses ways for companies to be more transparent about their practices and how they impact the planet.

The progress so far

Previous efforts to guard species, shield Indigenous communities, protect land through legislation and switch to more environmentally friendly lifestyles haven’t worked to their full potential. It isn’t mandatory to report progress or even track it. It leads to funds that should go toward environmental efforts being displaced elsewhere without consequences.

With erratic weather events putting more people — and species — in danger, it’s difficult to tell what efforts are viable in an unpredictable world. It doesn’t mean humans can’t try.

What can people do now? Legislation is among the most influential tools, but it must be specific and hold individuals and companies accountable. How can they demonstrate proof the money goes to the right place? What repercussions are there for bodies that don’t abide?

Legislation must also retract laws protecting fossil fuels or otherwise damaging documentation. Regulations must control how humans and corporations interact with the planet and its species, from waste disposal to fuel usage.

It should deter companies from building or extracting raw materials from protected areas or misusing equipment. People must oversee these areas and ensure their continued funding for long-term prosperity because a one-shot protection rule won’t give the land the attention it needs to flourish.

The mental shift

All participants in this program must adjust their mindsets about environmental protection if they haven’t done so already. There are a few ways this can look.

Urbanizing populations can look to Indigenous communities for how they carry their relationships with the land. These regions are some of the most untouched while inhabited because residents live alongside natural processes instead of exploiting them for capital, as most nations do. Governments and communities should allow themselves to be inspired by these populations because they protect their land and water.

Additionally, plan participants must see the long-term picture. It’s easy to assume one year of inadequate progress is fine — nations have nine more years to go. In reality, there is no time to waste. Short-term financial gains by ignoring this commitment will lead to significant losses in the future.

Ultimately, the plan supports economic growth worldwide, and ignoring biodiversity means all companies will set themselves up to fail — especially agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

It’s a challenge for humans to understand, but it’s a scientifically proven bridge — conservation equals a positive impact on financial security for the planet.

The world cannot protect itself while humans are populating and urbanizing faster than ever. Even clean projects like renewable energy push still pollute the planet and take more than its fair share of finite resources. The 30 by 30 goal is aggressive yet reasonable if participants keep their promise.

Some require a mental adjustment to justify the financial investments, especially to overcome systemic greed, but the data proves how much conservation can help nations financially. Whether participation is because of economic betterment or a simple obligation to heal the world, everyone has something in it for them and a reason to contribute.