The failure to meet global and national biodiversity targets suggests that our political, economic and social actions must change significantly more than they have in the past in order to halt the decline in biodiversity and reverse the negative trend. In light of the update of the German National Strategy on Biological Diversity (NBS) 2030, the question arises as to how such a transformation can be initiated and shaped in Germany. In this article, we present findings from an expert evaluation of transformative biodiversity policy and make recommendations for different fields of action of the NBS 2030. We argue that a successful transformation requires new forms of inclusive planning and a coherent realignment of the regulatory framework for biodiversity-related action. The paradigm shift necessary for this cannot be achieved by the environmental sector alone, but requires a high political, social and legal status for biodiversity in all sectors. The associated learning process can only be successful through concrete planning and evaluation of objectives and measures, as well as a clear distribution and legal anchoring of responsibilities.