Earlier this week, scientists warned the world that one million out of our planet's eight million species are threatened with extinction by humans.
The landmark *IPBES report points towards a worrying future for our planet - a planet that is being pushed to the brink due to an increasing world population and consumption.
We all rely on nature for the essentials of life – from the air we breathe to the food we eat – and for our prosperity. But we are taking more than ever before, leading to impacts such as shrinking habitats, the over-exploitation of natural resources, climate change and pollution.
Humans are mainly responsible for this unsustainable loss of nature – but the solutions also lie in our hands if we act quickly. Find out more about the report’s findings and why this issue matters to all of us.
The IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body with over 130 member states. Its Global Assessment Report examines the state of nature, its ecosystems, and its contributions to people.
*The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Why should we care about the IPBES Global Assessment Report? Read the blog
Only business unusual can save us now.
Some of the world’s top scientists have spoken — again. It is a siren call that Earth’s natural systems are in the red and that all that we hold dear is threatened. How we feed, fuel and finance ourselves is pushing nature to the brink. We’re using resources faster than natural systems can replenish them.
Nature loss and climate change are the greatest systemic risks to our global economy, and natural disasters caused by human ecosystem disruption and climate change already cost more than $300 billion per year. Yet despite the mounting evidence that nature is in serious trouble, and that we have just 12 years to avert climate catastrophe, we are all but sleepwalking into a crisis.
The business case for nature is clear. While its true value is priceless, nature provides services to the global economy worth an estimated $125 trillion per year — two thirds more than global GDP. The science of nature loss has never been clearer. And the IPBES report reinforces the urgent need to put in place a New Deal for Nature and People if we are going to deliver the SDGs.
In 2020, world leaders will be making key decisions on the environment, climate and sustainable development; and we need to seize this opportunity to secure an international commitment to reverse nature loss – a New Deal for Nature and People.
By WWF’s Markets Practice Leader Cristianne Close, Governance Practice Leader Delfin Ganapin, and Finance Practice Leader Margaret Kuhlow.
