A new study published by Wildlife Conservation Society, and co-authored by Francis, Tom and Margaux, “Coral reef commitments are largely absent from national biodiversity and climate frameworks,” highlights a significant gap between global ambitions for coral reef conservation and national-level policies.
The study examined 25 coral-rich countries to assess how national strategies under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement align with the urgent needs to effectively conserve, protect and restore coral reefs.
While coral reefs may be acknowledged briefly, they are missing from the key targets and commitments that guide policy and funding decisions. The study found that as of August 2025, 71% of high-coral countries had submitted Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) aligned biodiversity targets, but very few included measurable commitments to prevent the loss of coral reefs within their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). Only one country, Papua New Guinea, has indicated plans to use coral reef indicators to measure progress on area-based conservation under the GBF. Moreover, only five countries mention reefs in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), despite reefs being one of the most important nature-based solutions to climate adaptation. Regarding the climate agenda, 48% of these countries mention reefs in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and only three (Belize, Fiji, UAE) include measurable commitments that could specifically deliver coral reef conservation in situ.
These gaps underscore the urgent need for measurable, enforceable strategies to safeguard coral reef ecosystems, which are critical for global biodiversity, fisheries, coastal protection, and climate resilience. The study highlighted key recommendations, including the development of dedicated national reef strategies, the integration of coral reefs into national biodiversity frameworks, and the inclusion of specific, measurable reef targets in climate and adaptation policies.
The study provides a crucial evidence base for policymakers, international organisations, and conservation practitioners, emphasising that without concrete national commitments, coral reefs, one of the planet’s most valuable and vulnerable ecosystems, remain at risk despite global conservation pledges.
Blue Pangolin Consulting’s involvement highlights our role in bridging scientific research and international policy and is strategically positioned to support Governments understand and develop actionable policy recommendations, aiding with the alignment of national planning with global reef conservation objectives.
Read the preprint: https://zenodo.org/records/17653674
Publication citation: Degemmis, A., Darling, E., Piednoir, M.-C., Brun, V., Claudet, J., Jupiter, S., Monfared, M. A. A., McLeod, E., Clarke, P., Dallison, T., James, R. S., Rylance, A., Staub, F., & Trudeau, N. (2025). Coral reef commitments are largely absent from national biodiversity and climate frameworks. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17653674
