COUNTDOWN TO 2050
Rewild Half the Planet
The science is clear: to halt the sixth mass extinction and stabilise the climate, we need to protect and restore at least half of Earth's land and ocean by 2050. Here's where we stand right now.
Where we stand
Key metrics tracking progress toward the 2050 goal
17.6%
Earth's land under protection
Protected Planet / WDPA
120+
Active rewilding projects globally
Global Rewilding Alliance
48
Species with recovering populations
IUCN Red List
102B USD
Private nature finance in circulation
Kunming-Montreal Framework
Milestones
Key dates on the road to 2050
European bison population passes 10,000 in the wild
A milestone for the largest land mammal in Europe, back from the edge of extinction through coordinated rewilding across Poland, Romania, and the Carpathians.
England's first wild beaver population officially protected
After a successful 5-year trial on the River Otter, beavers gain legal protection — a landmark for rewilding in the UK.
196 countries commit to 30x30 biodiversity target
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework commits signatories to protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030 — a stepping stone to 50% by 2050.
Goldman Sachs launches Biodiversity Bond Fund
Targeting $300-500 million, marking the entry of major investment banking into nature-positive finance.
Private nature finance grows 11-fold since 2020
Reaching $102 billion in circulation, signalling that the market is recognising natural capital as a genuine asset class.
Wolves confirmed breeding in the Netherlands for first time in 150 years
Natural recolonisation from Germany demonstrates that predator recovery is possible even in densely populated Western Europe.
Rewilding: The Radical New Science of Ecological Recovery published
Cain Blythe and Paul Jepson publish with Icon Books / MIT Press, establishing the scientific framework that The Fear Paradox builds upon.
Wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone
The event that triggered the most famous trophic cascade in ecology — and the founding story of the Landscape of Fear.
Find out where you stand
The Fear Paradox explains why we're not moving faster — and what to do about it.