Selecting indicators to track progress towards the Global Biodiversity Framework: A case study of Quebec's 2030 Nature Plan

Selecting biodiversity indicators to report national and subnational progress towards the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is a major challenge, one made even more urgent by the fast approaching 2030 targets. To efficiently identify appropriate indicators, the selection process must be streamlined, while remaining transparent, effective, and with the active engagement of stakeholders from the academic, public, and private sectors. We present guidelines for the selection of biodiversity indicators to track progress towards 2030 targets in the context of the GBF, with a case study of the province-level indicator recommendation process for Quebec’s 2030 Nature Plan. We outline six steps to develop a shortlist of indicators that are relevant to targets, fulfill minimum criteria of scientific quality given the province’s available biodiversity data, and practical to inform decisions and on-the-ground conservation actions. We present the rationale and outcomes of this selection process, culminating in the 15 biodiversity indicators that we recommended for Quebec’s 2030 Nature Plan. Going forward, we recommend continuing to build trust across sectors, developing communication guidelines to standardize indicator reporting, and testing indicator performance at national and subnational scales. Overall, this case study demonstrates that with active engagement and cooperation, we can rapidly rise to the challenge of identifying the indicators we need to track and report biodiversity change.