A new commentary in Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes proposes a practical pathway for countries to meet the global goal of protecting 30 percent of land and sea by 2030, known as the 30 × 30 target, by rethinking how existing ecological policies are counted and governed. Focusing on China, the authors argue that the country's Ecological Protection Redline policy offers a ready model for turning ambitious maps into real conservation outcomes while balancing development needs.
Turning redlines into real protection
China's Ecological Protection Redline system has legally identified about 32 percent of the nation's land as crucial ecological space, creating a nationwide network that safeguards most major ecosystems and many key wildlife species. This framework has already slowed ecological degradation, supported the recovery of endangered species and strengthened the foundation for long term ecological security.
The commentary suggests that roughly 12 percent of China's land, currently within these ecological redlines but outside the formal protected area system, could be rapidly recognized as "other effective area based conservation measures," or OECMs. OECMs are areas where conservation is achieved in practice, even when it is not the primary management goal, and they are now formally acknowledged under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
A fast track to 30 × 30
By designating eligible parts of the redline network as OECMs, China could close the remaining gap between its interim goal of protecting 18 percent of land and the full 30 percent effective conservation target, without creating large numbers of new parks from scratch. This approach can reduce political resistance and financial costs, since it works within an existing legal and governance framework rather than imposing entirely new land use categories.
"Ecological redlines already function as the backbone of China's conservation system," says lead author Shaokun Li of Beijing Normal University in Zhuhai. "Recognizing qualifying areas as OECMs would transform this backbone into a fast track for achieving 30 × 30 while supporting local communities." The authors highlight that many redline areas already include strict development controls, restoration requirements and protection of wildlife corridors and water sources.
A model for emerging economies
The commentary emphasizes that governance capacity, not just the percentage of land on a map, will determine whether the 30 × 30 pledge truly protects biodiversity. By integrating national policies like China's redlines with international tools such as OECMs, the authors argue that countries can deliver conservation that is both functionally effective and socially grounded.
The proposed "redlines to OECMs" pathway is presented as a replicable model for other emerging economies where conservation must coexist with dense populations and strong development pressures. The authors call on the global conservation community to recognize and incentivize such nationally tailored innovations so that 30 × 30 becomes a real safeguard for nature rather than a set of fragmented boundaries on paper.
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Journal reference: Li S, Chen X. 2025. A Chinese model for 30 × 30: ecological redlines as other effective area-based conservation measures. Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes 1: e014
https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/ebp-0025-0014
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Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes is a multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on the interactions and processes involving the cycling of elements and compounds between the biological, geological, and chemical components of the environment.
