Official records say about 18.5% of the world’s land is conserved for nature. A team led by the Durrell Institute at the University of Kent thinks the real figure is higher. They dug through national and regional databases that never reached the global count. The data span 25 countries and about a tenth of the planet’s land. Scaled up, their estimate of conserved land rises to 26.8%, within reach of the 30% target governments set for 2030. There is a large catch. Most of the extra land sits in ecosystems that are already well protected, so the gaps in coverage barely close. The authors are blunt that hitting an area number will not, by itself, stop biodiversity loss. I read this as a bookkeeping correction rather than good news for wildlife. It does suggest the 30% goal is closer on paper than the headline numbers imply, which will shape the next round of targets.
Source: Nature, 14 October 2026
