Australia is the only nation to span a continent and is home to a diversity of unique species and stunning landscapes. Billions of dollars in economic activity and many thousands of jobs depend on our natural environment. However, Australia is facing one of the highest species extinction rates in the world and the state of our environment remains on a consistent downward trend.
As part of efforts to meet this challenge, Australia has signed the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and committed to action on Target 3 by protecting at least 30 per cent of our lands and oceans by 2030.
Australia is making progress towards this target, with approximately 22 per cent of land already protected, and bipartisan political support across federal, state and territory jurisdictions for a coordinated national approach.
A clear pathway is required to protect at least an additional 60 million hectares of land – to meet Australia’s target under the Global Biodiversity Framework – in a way that represents the diversity of habitats and species across Australia.
This report provides an overview of world leading features of Australia’s National Reserve System (NRS) delivered by federal, state and territory jurisdictions, First Nations peoples, non-government organisations and private landholders. It then provides recommendations on the most effective ways to meet 30×30 for the ecosystems of continental Australia.
