Our Wild Sussex: 30 x 30

, 24 April 2024
Our Wild Sussex: 30 x 30
Dormouse © Hugh Clark FRPS

Henri Brocklebank

Director - Conservation

30 by 30 has become shorthand for the global imperative to restore nature. It calls for 30% of land and sea globally to be meaningfully protected for nature by 2030. This target is included in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and was agreed at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at COP15. Countries are expected to contribute to this global goal through domestic action to increase coverage of effectively managed protected areas. More than 100 countries have now signed up to the commitment, including the UK.

Yes you read that right – 2030. Just six years away. Focuses the mind doesn’t it? Clearly what we have been doing in the past is not even nearly enough – it’s time to ramp it up. Raise our ambitions.

If we are going to make it work we all have a role to play. It implies less talking and more doing. It tells us that partnerships and relationships and working together is critical. Sussex Wildlife Trust takes its role in ’30 by 30’ very seriously and has embedded it in as a Key Transformation within our strategy, which also runs to 2030 (not a co-incidence).

We head into our new strategy with a sharp focus on 30 by 30. What can we do to improve and expand our own portfolio of sites? There are several exciting opportunities in the pipeline which we will share as they develop. Also what more can we do with our landscape scale projects, where we are delivering with landowners on the ground every day. These projects offer a fantastic opportunity to deliver for nature and they will be a key focus for us in our new strategy.

And of course, ‘30 by 30’ is also reflected in the marine space. Here in Sussex, we have a 300km2 area protected from the impacts of trawling through the Sussex Near Shore Trawling Byelaw – many eyes are on the seabed now, watching the changes as they happen. Sussex is the first place to implement a byelaw based on the value of the ecosystem services of a healthy seabed – it may be a catalyst for more areas in the future. Meanwhile we hope that between now and 2030 our marine protected areas will have much clearer routes to restoration whilst we work with partners to stimulate a seascape approach to marine restoration.

So yes – ‘30 by 30’. It’s a huge deal - please join us on the journey of making it happen.

Find out more: Our Wild Sussex strategic plan

Kelp in Bognor © Paul Boniface
Kelp in Bognor © Paul Boniface
Leave a comment