Reporting on the extent of natural ecosystems under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Falko Buschke, Benjamin Cresswell, Naema Gros-Dubois, Alys Young, Nicholas Murray

Unlike its predecessors, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework emphasises ecosystems in its targets, goals, and monitoring framework. This novelty means that Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity are now expected to report on this component of biodiversity for the first time. Here we surveyed how Parties reported on Headline Indicator A.2 (Extent of Natural Ecosystems) in their 7th National Reports to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Only a quarter of Parties reported on indicator A.2, so we explored existing global data as a temporary input ahead of the upcoming Global Review of Collective Progress. Although indicator values estimated from global datasets were statistically consistent with those reported by Parties, there was approximately 26.9% variation between the two sources, particularly in geographically small countries. Therefore, although global data could be used to estimate aggregate indicator values – suggesting that 70.5% of global terrestrial ecosystems are still natural – it should be applied cautiously in individual countries.