According to two new reports by the IPBES, immediate action to address the biodiversity crisis could unlock massive business and innovation opportunities, generating $10 trillion and supporting 395 million jobs worldwide by 2030.
The two landmark studies were launched in Windhoek, Namibia during the 11th Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service
'Nexus' report
The Nexus assessment report tackles the intertwined global crises of biodiversity loss, water and food insecurity, health risks and climate change, showing how these all interact, cascade and compound each other, making efforts to address them separately ineffective and counterproductive.
It shows that scenarios that focus on addressing the challenges in just one sector – such as food, biodiversity or climate change in isolation – fix one problem while creating another one, seriously limiting the chances of meeting other Sustainable Development Goals.
An integrated approach will therefore help the global community reach the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The report presents more than 70 response options to address these interlinked issues. Examples include: restoring carbon-rich ecosystems, such as forests, soils, and mangroves; managing biodiversity to reduce the risk of diseases spreading from animals to humans; improving integrated landscape and seascape management; urban nature-based solutions; sustainable healthy diets; and supporting Indigenous food systems.
Notably, the report finds that addressing all these crises together makes economic sense. More than half of global GDP – over $50 trillion of annual economic activity around the world – is dependent on nature. The unaccounted-for costs of current approaches to economic activity are at least $10-25 trillion per year.
'Transformative Change' report
The Transformative Change assessment report focuses on the underlying causes of the biodiversity crisis, the drivers of change and available options.
The underlying causes of biodiversity loss identified by the report are the disconnection of people from nature and domination over nature and other people; the inequitable concentration of power and wealth; and the prioritisation of short-term individual and material gains.
The report calls for a “whole-of-society” approach to addressing the biodiversity crisis, meaning that there is a role for every person and organisation to create transformative change at multiple levels.
It rightfully recognises the vital role of Indigenous People and Local Communities in safeguarding nature. What’s more, the authors analysed hundreds of case studies from around the world and found that transformative initiatives can yield positive results in just a decade.
