ABSTRACT
The international community was slow to set targets for protected areas although this has since changed. Milestones include the CBD’s Programme of Work on Protected Areas in 2004, the setting of global percentage targets for terrestrial and marine protected areas by the CBD in 2010 and the adoption of these by the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. At a regional level, the Natura 2000 process in the European Union is the primary example of a continent-wide strategy with government backing. The long-term success or failure of these policy initiatives will be heavily influenced by decisions made over the next few years, making this a critical time for area-based conservation.
