Reflections from interdisciplinary research on the social implications of implementing 30x30: five ways forward

Area-based conservation is critical for conserving biodiversity, but its success depends on understanding and addressing its social dimensions. Here we share key reflections from an interdisciplinary working group studying the social implications of expanding area-based conservation under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s Target 3, also known as 30×30. Over two years, our interdisciplinary working group collaborated through workshops, quantitative spatial analysis and qualitative case studies to explore how approaches to implementing Target 3 may create challenges and opportunities for people living in and around protected and conserved areas, particularly since international and even national priorities can sometimes conflict with local aspirations. Our reflections emphasise that implementing Target 3 is not only an ecological challenge but also a profoundly social one. Based on insights from our collective work, we identify five ways forward for a socially just Target 3: (1) fostering dialogue across perspectives to support more inclusive solutions; (2) giving greater attention to who is affected; (3) balancing the focus on ‘where’ conservation is implemented with more attention to ‘how’ it is governed and managed; (4) mainstreaming social data in conservation planning; and (5) connecting insights across scales. By sharing these reflections, we aim to support ongoing efforts to foreground social considerations in conservation policy and practice.