30 by 30 Global Initiative

If we do not safeguard 30% of the natural environment by 2030, Earth may become unfit for life.

We are to fault for the natural world's state of emergency. The Sixth Extinction is currently underway, marking the greatest loss of species in human history. Several life forms are on the brink of extinction. Almost a third of all freshwater species are endangered. Rhinos and elephants are being shot at such a high pace that they may be extinct by 2034. Approximately 28% of all examined plant and animal species on the earth are presently threatened with extinction.

Species have been rapidly declining in recent years, with 60 percent of the world's animal populations having vanished in the previous 50 years. Scientists warn that if humans do nothing, more than 1 million species would perish from the planet forever in the next decades.

Biodiversity isn't just good to have; it's necessary for the health and upkeep of the planet's ecosystems, which are crucial for human health. Biodiversity helps to maintain the Earth's basic life-supporting elements such as clean water, clean air, and crop pollination, as well as critical ecosystem services such as soil fertility, waste decomposition, and natural disaster recovery, in addition to providing sustenance, medicines, and livelihoods to billions of people.

Biodiversity also has a significant economic value. "At least 40% of the world's economy and 80% of the needs of the poor are generated from biological resources," according to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a three-decade-old international convention signed by 193 countries (but excluding, the United States). The CBD pact does not include the United States as a signatory. Ecosystem services are "expected to be worth billions of dollars—double the world's GDP," says Damian Carrington, the Guardian's environment editor. The loss of biodiversity in Europe costs the region roughly 3% of its GDP [$546 million] per year."

Humans rely on life on land as much as they do on the sea for their survival and prosperity. Plant life accounts for 80% of life on Earth, transforms carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis, and provides 80% of the human diet (60 percent of calorie consumption comes from only three cereal crops: rice, maize, and wheat): Agriculture is a valuable economic resource, a source of development, and a source of direct income for many people.

To make room for our farms and towns, as well as to harvest fuels, minerals, lumber, and other resources for human society, we destroy their natural habitats. And we poison the environments we don't totally remove with a wide range of hazardous materials, ranging from pesticides and plastics to CO2, fracking chemicals, and invading species. With our light and noise, we are even harming wildlife habitats.

By 2050, the world's human population is predicted to reach 9.9 billion, according to the Population Reference Bureau. That's more than a quarter of a billion people higher than the planet's current population of 7.9 billion. Other species will almost definitely become extinct.

So, what can be done to avoid species extinction and conserve biodiversity throughout the world? A group of 19 prominent  scientists released the "Global Deal for Nature" (GDN) in April 2019, describing it as a " time-bound", science-driven plan to conserve the variety and richness of life on Earth, " which, when combined with the Paris Climate Agreement, has the potential to help conserve the world's biodiversity and abundance. 

According to the report, "avoid climate catastrophe, safeguard species, and ensure essential ecosystem services." The GDN's major goal in achieving its aim of "ensuring a more habitable biosphere" is encapsulated in its "30x30" proposal: save 30% of the Earth in its original condition by 2030. The concept has taken hold, with 50 countries joining the effort to actualize the 30x30 goal of protecting large ecosystems from exploitation, spearheaded by Costa Rica, France, and the United Kingdom.

"Protecting 30% of the globe would surely improve our inhabitants' quality of life and assist us in achieving a decarbonized, fair, and strong society," Costa Rica's Environment Minister Andrea Meza stated. "Healing and restoring nature is a critical step toward human well-being, as it creates millions of high-quality green and blue employment and helps us achieve the 2030 Agenda, especially as part of our long-term recovery efforts."

The campaign claims that "protecting 30% of our whole world by 2030 (30x30) is an ambitious but feasible objective." "To accomplish it, all countries must accept and contribute to the aim; indigenous rights must be protected; and conservation initiatives must be adequately financed," says the report.

Scientists believe that by 2030, we must save at least 30% of the world to avoid a huge extinction disaster, maintain a growing global population, and address climate change. The Campaign for Nature is urging world leaders to set new, more ambitious global protected area objectives and collaborate with other governments, indigenous people, and other partners to ensure that new and current protected areas are effectively managed. The asteroid hit that wiped off the dinosaurs and numerous marine animals is one of the other five great extinctions. 

Humans are nearly completely to blame for animal extinctions in recent decades, according to a recent study. According to projections, another 550 mammals species will be extinct this century if we continue on our current course. "We don't have time to wait; biodiversity loss, nature loss, and environmental degradation are at unparalleled levels in human history," says Elizabeth Mrema, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. "In the history of the world, we are the most hazardous species". 

Targets for SDG 15 have been updated.

Some hopeful global trends in the protection of terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity have emerged:

· The total protected area of key biodiversity increased from 33.1 percent in 2000 to 46.1 percent in 2018, with terrestrial areas increasing from 33.1 percent to 46.1 percent in 2018, freshwater areas increasing from 30.5 percent to 43.2 percent in 2018, and mountain areas increasing from 32.9 percent to 44.7 percent in 2018. More than 15,000 Key Biodiversity Areas have been recognized worldwide, covering 15% of terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

·  In 2017, $8.7 billion was allocated to biodiversity protection, representing a 15 percent increase in real terms over 2016.

·    By 2030, nature-based climate solutions might account for nearly a third of CO2 reductions.

·  Since the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity went into effect in 1993, extinction rates for birds and mammals might have been three to four times higher: conservation efforts have spared up to 48 avian and mammal extinctions.

Thankfully, the 30x30 vision has gained worldwide popularity. The current "zero draught" of the global framework meant to steer conservation efforts through 2030 includes the 30x30 vision as an explicit goal. When the 15th Conference of the Parties to the CBD convenes in Kunming, China in October, the chances are good that delegates will secure a firm multilateral commitment: the current "zero draught" of the global framework meant to steer conservation efforts through 2030 includes the 30x30 vision as an explicit goal.

 Aqsa Muhammadi