The global target to protect 30% of Earth’s land and ocean by 2030 has prompted governments to report their progress in biodiversity conservation. Announcements of countries reaching 30 % of conservation area are widely commended by the international community, despite signs of increasing pressures within protected areas, poor representativity of key threatened ecosystems, and a lack of indicators to monitor the impact of conservation areas on people. Using Colombia’s experience, we urge megadiverse countries to report indicators of how conservation actions at local scales impact global outcomes, how other effective area-based conservation measures (OEMCs) enhance the impacts of the existing protected area network, and how conservation areas promote an equitable and efficient distribution of benefits to people.