Research overview: 30x30 area-based conservation targets

Global biodiversity policy has coalesced around targets to protect or conserve thirty percent of land and sea by 2030, widely known as 30x30. This overview surveys research on what such area-based targets mean for big cats and large carnivores. Studies examine whether expanding protected and conserved areas would capture the habitats and connectivity carnivores need, and caution that area alone is insufficient if new designations are poorly located or poorly managed. Researchers stress quality, representativeness, and effectiveness over mere area, and the inclusion of other effective conservation measures and indigenous and community lands. For wide-ranging predators, the targets offer an opportunity to secure large landscapes and corridors if implemented well. The overview frames 30x30 as a major policy driver whose conservation value for big cats depends on where and how the new protections are delivered, not simply on hitting a percentage.