The Global Politics of a Protected Earth

Abstract The vision of humans living sustainably on a “protected earth” has a long history. Support for this vision has been surging in recent years, coming into sharp relief in 2022 when negotiators at the Convention on Biological Diversity’s fifteenth Conference of the Parties set a target of protecting 30 percent of land and sea by 2030. This article explains why this global green vision is gaining power as an ordering principle in world politics. Three sets of factors, we argue, are propelling this vision. First, the base of support is broadening as the conceptualization of the vision increasingly integrates values of justice, equity, Indigenous rights, and community comanagement. Second, grassroots advocacy is steadily strengthening underlying norms of appropriate action for protecting the earth, such as high seas conservation, zero deforestation, and rights of nature. And third, as environmental problems compound and sustainability norms strengthen, a global policy understanding is emerging on the value of legal protections. The extent of protected area looks set to keep rising and even gain pace. We do not assume, however, that the vision of a protected earth is benign, apolitical, or uncontested. Indeed, some states are protecting areas to grab land, control resources, or repress communities, and vast tracts of “protected” land, forests, and oceans remain heavily exploited, both legally and illegally.