Equity in global conservation policy varies in clarity and comprehensiveness

Equity is increasingly emphasized in global conservation policy because equitable practice is recognized as an ethical imperative and instrumental to conservation success. Equitable conservation involves recognition of diverse actors and their rights, inclusive decision making, and fair distribution of impacts. However, understanding of how equity is conceptualized in policy is lacking. Given the important role of policy in shaping practice, we examine how equity is articulated in seven key conservation policies. Using content analysis, we assess policies with respect to equity dimensions (recognition, procedure, and distribution), content (what the issue is about), subjects (who is considered), and criteria (elements of each dimension). We find that equity text is vague, omits essential equity criteria, and prioritizes distributional concerns over procedural and recognitional equity. The limited clarity and comprehensiveness of equity directives may hinder efforts to foster equity in practice. We suggest that clear, theoretically grounded, yet flexible equity directives are crucial to equitable on-ground conservation.