30x30 Ocean Action Plan 2025

30x30 Ocean Action Plan9 8 Executive Summary As of June 2025, only 9.6% of the ocean has been designated as marine protected areas (MPAs) – 8.7% in national waters and 0.9% in the high seas. Recent reports suggest that just 2.9% is fully or highly protected. Without urgent and coordinated action, the world is unlikely to meet the marine component of Target 3 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3 – to effectively protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030. Two key challenges stand out: too little of the ocean is effectively protected, and progress is occurring too slowly. The 30x30 target is more than a numeric milestone—it represents a strategic investment in ocean health and in human well-being. At stake are the ocean’s most vital ecosystems and the critical services they provide, including food security, climate resilience, and the livelihoods of coastal and Indigenous communities. Protecting 30% is also essential to eventually reaching 100% sustainable management of the ocean, reconciling the apparent conundrum of protection and sustainable use. This report provides a candid assessment of global progress and identifies key opportunities to accelerate marine protection and enable timely course correction. It reviews relevant mechanisms—across areas within and beyond national jurisdiction—and evaluates a set of large MPAs under potential consideration. If fully realised these could boost global ocean protection by an additional 4.7%, raising total global marine protection to 14.3%. At just 14.3%, global ocean protection would remain far from the 30% target – raising the urgency and the level of ambition required to deliver 30x30. It compels us to confront the systemic barriers standing in the way of increased, effective global ocean protection: adequate implementation, political inertia, sufficient financing, inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, fragmented data, and the correct use of available science and tools. To help meet the 30x30 target, a two-pronged Action Plan is presented to support context-specific strategies and guide implementation by all governments and relevant stakeholders involved in the push to 30x30. The Action Plan does not aim to create new mechanisms or prescribe fixed solutions. Rather, it serves as a unifying call to align ongoing efforts, illuminate the enablers already within reach, and encourage the collective resolve needed to turn ambition into tangible action. Global gains have been modest at best – but momentum is building and the path ahead is clear. The time for symbolic commitments has passed. With the ocean in crisis and the window for action narrowing, achieving 30x30 demands bold, equitable, and science-based marine protection across both national waters and the high seas. Crucially, once the BBNJ Agreement is ratified, it will enable high seas protections at scale—unlocking one of the greatest opportunities to close the gap. With the BBNJ Agreement and national commitments converging, we now have a historic chance to deliver meaningful protection—if we choose to seize it. Photo: Wirestock / Envato Elements