Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Targets

Forest restoration has the potential to result in substantial biodiversity gains alongside climate and human well-being benefits; however, biodiversity has historically been neglected in restoration efforts. This Review summarizes how differing forest restoration approaches affect impacts on biodiversity, and key knowledge gaps and research priorities for achieving biodiversity-centred restoration.

Species classified as Critically Endangered are at greatest risk of extinction, and their preservation and recovery are crucial to meeting global biodiversity aims. This Review assesses the geographical and taxonomic distribution of Critically Endangered species, their threats, current and required conservation actions, and strategies to facilitate effective, coordinated conservation.

Bans on trophy hunting or the movement of trophies are increasingly proposed as ‘wins’ for conservation. However, trophy hunting is a complex and contentious topic, and proposed bans involve considerable trade-offs — including conservation and welfare risks. Here, we briefly outline some of the trade-offs that deserve deeper consideration.

A crucial element of conservation planning is spatial prioritization: the identification of areas that are high priority for conservation. This Review synthesizes advances in climate-smart spatial prioritization, which takes into account the effects of climate change on biodiversity.

Wildlife are central to nature’s contributions to people (NCP) but are often overlooked in NCP policy and management. This Perspective presents evidence for the integral role of wildlife in supporting human well-being and proposes their recognition and incorporation into conservation decision-making as wildlife’s contributions to people (WCP).

Urban biodiversity underpins ecosystem services in cities, but faces multiple pressures from human activities, declining engagement of urban residents with nature, and inadequate governance systems. This Review discusses the benefits provided by urban biodiversity, the challenges it faces, and approaches to its promotion and conservation.

Aquatic eDNA-based technologies offer the potential for universal and standardized biodiversity monitoring. In this Perspective, Altermatt et al. discuss how these technologies can help to achieve the targets of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework through informing appropriate policy and actions, and describe the next steps required for widespread and equitable use of these technologies.

The UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s new financial mechanism to fund conservation efforts involves for-profit users of biodiversity-derived genetic data contributing to the Cali Fund. This global fund promises benefits for biodiversity, Indigenous people and local communities while maintaining open data, but relies on action from countries and businesses.

Meeting climate goals requires minerals for renewable energy technologies and infrastructure. However, the mining to obtain these minerals negatively affects biodiversity and local communities, undermining conservation and sustainability goals. This Review explores the effects of mining for the renewable energy transition on biodiversity and social conflict.

Implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework requires robust commitments from actors across society. However, the Convention on Biological Diversity’s pledge system is still nascent and has structural deficiencies. Integrated guidance on society-wide biodiversity commitments that complement governmental efforts is urgently needed to effectively accelerate progress towards global biodiversity targets.

Biodiversity offsets, applied as part of the mitigation hierarchy, aim to ensure that ‘no net loss’ of biodiversity occurs as a result of human development projects and activities. This Review explores offsetting approaches, their effectiveness in comparison with other conservation mechanisms, and the future of offsetting in the context of ‘nature positive’ goals.

Highly skilled scientists who live and work outside of their country of origin build capacity in their home countries from afar. In this Comment, we argue that these ‘scientific diasporas’ have great potential to advance progress in biodiversity conservation.

This Perspective argues for the use of genome engineering for restoring species genetic diversity and increase species resilience to environmental change. Genome engineering could be combined with traditional conservation approaches for more effective conservation initiatives.

Despite commitments to community rights and livelihoods, evidence of positive social outcomes from protected areas in developing countries remains scant. Bridging this gap demands a cultural shift that commits to community rights, robust evaluation and substantially increased financing to ensure that the 30 × 30 target is achieved through resilient and socially just conservation.