Conservation victories in 2025 advance global 30×30 biodiversity goals despite slow overall progress

The world remains far behind on the ambitious “30 by 30” target to protect 30% of Earth’s land and ocean by 2030, with less than 10% of oceans and just 17.6% of terrestrial areas currently under protection. However, 2025 delivered several significant conservation victories that moved the needle toward this critical biodiversity goal.

According to Mitchelle De Leon, chief impact officer with nonprofit SkyTruth, this year marked a shift from “purely aspirational goals toward more concrete planning and formal recognition in some countries and regions.” Colombia emerged as a conservation leader with two groundbreaking decisions. In March, the country established a 1.1-million-hectare protected territory in the Amazon specifically for the uncontacted Yuri-Passé people—the first time Colombia has created a protected area for people living in voluntary isolation. The move came after neighboring Indigenous communities raised alarms about increasing threats from mining operations and organized crime.

Colombia followed up in November with an even bolder announcement: a complete ban on new oil and large-scale mining projects throughout its Amazon region, protecting roughly 48.3 million hectares of critical rainforest habitat.

While these victories represent meaningful progress, De Leon cautions that success requires looking beyond designation numbers. “We must also assess how much impact protected areas are having on land use change over time, not just how much land is designated,” she emphasized. With just five years remaining to meet the 30×30 target, the focus is increasingly shifting from setting goals to measuring real-world conservation outcomes.