Since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in 2022, there has been a rapid mobilisation of effort aiming to achieve 23 ambitious targets. This includes the “30×30” goal to conserve 30 per cent of land and ocean by 2030. However, significant progress is needed with currently only eight per cent of the ocean under some form of protection. Simultaneously, efforts to keep global warming to 1.50C are falling short, as highlighted by the first Global Stocktake in 2023, with inadequate action to limit and transition away from fossil fuels, and to deliver an equitable finance goal for vulnerable nations, demonstrated most recently at COP29 in Baku. As such, we are facing an intertwined ecological crisis.