Abstract

A science-based recommendation to help address the biodiversity and climate crises by protecting at least 30% of Earth’s terrestrial and marine systems by 2030 (30x30) is gaining momentum in the US. As many groups have signed on to the message, none have synthesized the underlying spatial patterns with the US policy tools necessary to operationalize the effort and chart a path forward. We combined imperiled species richness, ecosystem carbon, and protected areas to show that achieving 30x30 is possible, but doing so in a way that maximizes biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation will require coordinated efforts across many decision-makers. Critically, many areas of high biodiversity and carbon stores across the country are either under-protected or currently lack any protections. This talk discusses the key results of the analysis and share ways in which the conservation GIS community can help lead the way to achieving at least 30x30. You can view the full talk in the video below.