Defining levels of degradation can be the essential basis for working towards the 15% target if the 4-level model is adapted, as the progress of restoration (= the reduction of degraded land) must be measured against a reference value. However, our work shows that such strong focus on degraded land can draw the focus away from what really matters: the implementation of restoration activities, and prioritization of the most important actions. This is mainly a problem when comparing between the countries, but might also have an influence on national priorities and initiatives as the total area assigned to level 1 set the standard for "restorable land".