ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has finalised its national biodiversity targets (NBTs), aligning them with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ministry of Climate Change said on Saturday.

The move marked a key milestone in the country’s global biodiversity commitments.

The two-day high-level meeting, held in Islamabad and chaired by the secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, brought together representatives from federal ministries, provincial environment, forestry and wildlife departments, academia, and development partners to review and refine Pakistan’s biodiversity priorities.

Additional Secretary-I Dr Saad S Khan, Director Biodiversity Naeem Ashraf Raja, and Conservator Wildlife Samar Hussain Khan participated in the sessions.

Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, media spokesperson for the ministry and a climate policy and biodiversity advocacy specialist, said the NBTs were finalised after extensive consultations with government and non-government stakeholders across the country.

“The targets have been aligned with global frameworks, ensuring Pakistan’s biodiversity priorities reflect both ecological conservation needs and broader development objectives,” he said.

The consultative process identified a comprehensive set of targets covering ecosystem conservation and restoration, sustainable use of natural resources, biodiversity finance, and inclusive governance. Officials highlighted that these targets provided a framework for monitoring and reporting progress on Pakistan’s biodiversity goals, supporting both national and global conservation agendas.

“The newly finalised targets will guide Pakistan’s biodiversity actions in the coming years and support implementation of the revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2026–2030),” Saleem Shaikh added.

He noted that the initiative formed part of Pakistan’s broader efforts to strengthen biodiversity conservation, enhance ecosystem resilience, and contribute to global actions aimed at halting biodiversity loss.

According to the statement, national biodiversity targets were specific, time-bound goals within a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, designed to conserve biodiversity, restore ecosystems, and align with global frameworks like the Kunming–Montreal GBF.

Sharing details further, the ministry said that key targets included protecting 30 percent of land and sea areas, controlling invasive

species, and promoting sustainable management by 2030.

The targets also incorporated actionable SMART measures, such as developing legal and administrative policies to monitor business and development impacts on biodiversity.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2026