Meeting the ambitious targets set by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) will require expanding ecosystem restoration across governance domains for marine and coastal ecosystems. Marine spatial planning (MSP), which balances the development of multiple human uses in the ocean with the preservation of ecosystem health, might be the most effective vehicle for achieving this aim. However, to date, MSP and restoration efforts have proceeded on separate tracks, and biodiversity loss continues. In this Perspective we detail how embedding restoration into planning at the site scale, alongside subnational or national MSP, can help toachieve multiple simultaneous global biodiversity targets. We outline four avenues to action that support biodiversity-positive outcomes over the long term: ensure flexible and multi-scaled approaches; make planning community-centred; maintain social–ecological connectivity; and assess climate-related risks and opportunities. We then propose metrics that CBD Parties could use to implement and track progress on integrating ecoscape restoration into climate-smart MSP. With the world’s focus on the GBF and the approaching 2030 deadline, implementing the proposed avenues to action could lead to more rapid achievement of global targets.
