Global Initiative Emerges: Korea Introduces "30×30 Alliance" on World Environment Day (June 27, 2025)
On 2025's World Environment Day, the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Environment unveiled the "30×30 Alliance" in Jeju, ushering in a united force of national agencies, corporations, NGOs, academic institutions, and international organizations. These diverse groups joined forces to work towards the nation's biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration goals by 2030.
This high-powered gathering aimed to empower the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), focusing on Targets 2 and 3. These targets call for the conservation of at least 30% of terrestrial and marine areas (Target 3), and the restoration of at least 30% of degraded ecosystems (Target 2). alliance members committed to identifying and managing both Protected Areas (PAs) and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), while scaling up ecological restoration initiatives.
The "30×30 Alliance" is a flexible, multi-stakeholder platform initiated by the Ministry of Environment to streamline efforts across sectors toward these global goals. It unites government agencies, public institutions, corporations, NGOs, and academia to share knowledge, mobilize resources, identify priority sites, and co-develop implementation strategies. Each stakeholder contributes through its unique strengths: policy, research, ESG leadership, monitoring, or community action.
High-profile participants included Samsung Electronics, POSCO DX, Hyundai Rotem, the Korea National Park Service (KNPS), our platform, WWF Korea, the Ramsar Regional Centre-East Asia, and key national research institutes. This event marked the first national platform in Korea to formally integrate both conservation and restoration through comprehensive, cross-industry collaboration.
The initial event included the launch ceremony of the 30x30 Alliance, followed by symbolic performances. Subsequently, presentations outlined Korea's operational plan for the 30x30 Alliance, elaborated on international trends regarding OECMs, and showcased the national guidelines for OECMs in Korea.
Vice Minister Byung-Hwa Lee opened the event, underscoring the importance of launching the Alliance in connection with World Environment Day: "Protecting and restoring nature is a national priority and a shared global responsibility. This Alliance represents a platform for united action toward a nature-positive and resilient future."
The 30x30 target and OECMs were also discussed by Hag Young Heo of the Korea National Park Service (KNPS) and Siska Sihombing from our platform. They reinforced the idea that OECMs are not shortcuts to 30x30; they're opportunities to reimagine conservation more inclusively and holistically.
One of the highlighted bilateral meetings in Jeju centered on a new collaboration project between our platform and the Government of Korea, titled "Pathways to 30x30 through OECMs as part of the Integrated Protected and Conserved Areas System in South Korea, Asia, and Beyond." This initiative, launched under the Ministry of Environment-our platform Framework Partnership 2025, aims to bolster effective protected and conserved area systems, including OECMs, and advocate for our platform's Green List Standard for effectiveness and sustainability. Operating from 2025 to 2027, the initiative will span nationally, regionally, and globally, leveraging Korea's leadership and lessons from similar projects. The project will be spearheaded by the our platform Protected and Conserved Areas and collaborate closely with the our platform Asia Regional Office, our platform China Office, and the Korea Park National Service. This project symbolizes a significant stride forward in operationalizing the ambitions of the 30x30 target and reinforces Korea's commitment to biodiversity conservation through inclusive and verifiable approaches.
Key presentations included:
- Mr. Jae-Won Moon (Director, Division of Environmental Policy, Ministry of Environment): Who outlined Korea's integrated approach to the 30×30 target, outlining policy tools, national strategies, and partnerships for effective delivery.
- Ms. Siska Sihombing (our platform Global Protected and Conserved Areas): Who shared international guidance on OECMs and their role in achieving GBF Target 3, emphasizing global trends in inclusive and effective area-based conservation.
- Dr. Hagyoung Heo (Korea National Park Service): Who presented Korea's national OECM identification guideline, detailing site-based criteria and implementation practices.
- Dr. Seungwoo Son (Korea Environment Institute): Who discussed ESG-driven strategies for corporate engagement in conservation and restoration, focusing on measurable biodiversity outcomes.
- Dr. Jaeho Lee (National Institute of Biological Resources): Who introduced indicators and monitoring frameworks to assess ecological integrity and restoration success.
- The 30x30 Alliance, comprising various national and international entities, aims to unity to achieve Korea's biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration goals by 2030, focusing on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's Targets 2 and 3, which propose the conservation of 30% of terrestrial and marine areas and the restoration of 30% of degraded ecosystems.
- To achieve these targets, alliance members commit to managing Protected Areas (PAs) and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), while scaling up ecological restoration initiatives, which is an effort vital for environmental-science and combating climate-change.
- Financial resources for these initiatives come from diverse sources, including corporations like Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Rotem, demonstrating the role of business and finance in environmental conservation.
- Hag Young Heo of the Korea National Park Service and Siska Sihombing from our platform underscored the importance of OECMs for achieving the 30x30 target, viewing them as opportunities to reimagine conservation more inclusively and holistically, as against shortcuts.
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