Nature matters, because…

✖ Biodiversity underpins all life on Earth

✖ Losing biodiversity means losing vital services we all depend on ✖ Ecosystems absorb carbon and help limit the effects of climate change

Biodiversity on land and in the ocean is the variety of life on Earth. This web of living things is the fabric of life, cleaning the water we drink, pollinating our crops, purifying the air we breathe, regulating the climate, keeping our soils fertile, providing us with medicine, and providing many of the basic building blocks for industry.

Terrestrial and marine ecosystems provide crucial services that maintain our life support system. When we destroy biodiversity, we destroy this system, sawing off the branch that we sit on. Damaged ecosystems are fragile, and have a limited capacity to deal with extreme events and new diseases. Wellbalanced ecosystems, by contrast, protect us against unforeseen disasters, and when we use them in a sustainable manner, they offer many of the best solutions to urgent challenges. By taking better care of nature we can mitigate and adapt to climate change, often at a very low cost.

The ocean is a key enabler of life on Earth: it produces 50% of the oxygen in the atmosphere, absorbs about 25% of human-produced carbon dioxide emissions and 90% of excess heat in the climate system, and regulates the global climate.

We need healthy ecosystems and biodiversity for many reasons. In addition to their intrinsic value, and non-material things they bring like spiritual enrichment and aesthetic value, ecosystems are the foundation of all economies and societies. More than half of the world’s output depends on nature and its services. An estimated 70% of the world’s poor depend directly on wild species to meet their day-to-day needs for food, energy and medicines.

The global decline of biodiversity poses fundamental risks to human well-being. It threatens our food and water security, jeopardizes our physical and mental health, weakens our economies, threatens resilience to withstand natural disasters, heightens the risk of conflict, exacerbates the climate crisis, and degrades the beauty of the natural world we share with all creatures. These effects will impact the poorest and most vulnerable first and hardest.

We are losing the natural world faster than ever before…

✖ Human activities have pushed the planet into a sixth mass extinction, with 1 million species at risk of extinction

✖ Since 1970, the global wildlife population has fallen by 69%.

✖ Biodiversity above and below ground and in the sea is declining in every region of the world at unprecedented speed

This loss is closely linked to climate change, and part of a general ecological crisis.

Extinction rates around the world are now 100-1000 times higher than in pre-human times. This is the largest extinction event since the dinosaurs disappeared. Animal populations worldwide have declined nearly 70% in just 50 years. We’re squeezing nature into smaller and smaller pockets. As a result, 66% of wildlife lives on just 2% of the Earth. This process is fuelled by global patterns of production and consumption.

Tropical forests are being destroyed at fast rates, with 13 million hectares, or an area the size of Greece or Nicaragua, lost every year. These forests are home to the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet. One third of all forests in the pre-industrial era have meanwhile been cut. Between 30-50% of mangroves have died or been removed in the past 50 years. Mangrove forests are essential as habitat and spawning ground for marine animals, but they also reduce erosion, protect coastal areas from flooding and capture and store huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.

Soils host an astounding diversity of life: 25-30% of all species on Earth live in soils for all or part of their lives. Soil biodiversity is strongly impacted by human activities. Land and soil degradation around the world is reducing biodiversity and ecosystem services such as the provision of clean water and nutritious food, carbon capturing or protection against erosion.

The decline in insects is particularly dramatic. In 2019, a large study concluded that at the current rates of decline, 40% of world insect species could go extinct in the next few decades.

Insects matter because they are food for larger animals like birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians and fish. If this food source is taken away, all these animals will starve to death.

The decline in pollinating insects threatens food systems across the world. Three out of every four fruit or seed crops depend to some extent on pollinators. Without them, many farmers would see their profits drop or even go out of business.

The seas are also suffering from multiple and cumulative pressures, and they are the first victims of climate change: the Arctic lost an ice area about six times the size of Germany over the last 40 years, and marine species are disappearing from their habitat at twice the rate of those on land. There are now more than 400 dead zones in oceans around the world, mainly as a result of fertilizer run-off entering the oceans, and marine litter and plastics have a devastating impact on marine life. It is estimated that well above 150 million tons of plastics have accumulated in the world’s oceans, while 4.6-12.7 million tons are added every year. At this rate, by 2050 the oceans could contain more plastic by weight than fish.

Nearly 50% of coral reefs have been destroyed. If the average global temperature rises by 2°C, tropical coral reefs will disappear. Because of coral reefs’ function as nursery for fish and other sealife, this development affects the livelihoods of half a billion people.

The nature crisis is as much a global crisis as it is a European one. More than 80% of habitats in Europe are in poor condition. Peatlands, grasslands and dune habitats are worst affected. In Western, Central and Eastern Europe wetlands have shrunk by 50% since 1970, while 71% of fish and 60% of amphibians have been declining over the last decade. In Western and Central Europe and the western parts of Eastern Europe, at least 37% of freshwater fish and some 23% of amphibians are currently threatened with extinction.

Intensive farming and forestry, urban sprawl and pollution are the top pressures to blame for this drastic decline in Europe’s biodiversity, which is threatening the survival of thousands of animal species and habitats, and putting human health and prosperity at risk.

Links

• IPBES Global Assessment report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

• WWF Living Planet Report 2022

• IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and the Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

• European Red list of trees: https://www.iucn.org/news/species/201909/over-half-europes-endemic-trees-face-extinction

• 2019 Study on the decline of insects: Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers

• European Commission ‘Our Oceans, Seas and Coasts’

• State of Nature Report 2020 (European Commission, EEA)

• IUCN https://www.iucn.org/tags/work-area/red-list

• 2021 Red list of birds https://op.europa.eu/s/w7yl

✖ Biodiversity loss brings ‘extinction cascades’, where one species loss leads to another, which in turn leads to yet another…

✖ Up to 5 billion people face higher water pollution and insufficient pollination for nutrition under future scenarios of land use and climate change

✖ When we damage ecosystems, they release carbon instead of storing it. These “feedback loops” accelerate the process of climate change

The science is undisputable. The world is becoming more and more uninhabitable due to the nature and climate crises, coupled with pollution, threats to our food and water, and energy insecurity. People’s homes, livelihoods, and life support systems are at risk.

The stakes could not be higher, and the current decade is decisive. Failure for nature will mean failure for climate, security, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and failure to secure continuity of all life on earth.

Losing biodiversity makes it impossible to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Already half of the 44 targets related to poverty, hunger, health, water, cities, climate, and ocean and land degradation are being undermined by substantial negative trends in nature and its contributions to people.

One of the biggest concerns about climate change and biodiversity loss is the existence of tipping points. Passing a tipping point can lead to large, abrupt changes, shifting a system into a different state. These shifts are difficult or impossible to reverse and can have drastic negative impacts.

A new analysis indicates that Earth may have already left a ‘safe’ climate state. Five of the sixteen tipping points may be triggered at today’s temperatures: the collapse of Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, eventually producing a huge sea level rise, the collapse of a key current in the north Atlantic, disrupting rain upon which billions of people depend for food, an abrupt melting of carbon-rich permafrost, and massive die-off of tropical coral reefs.

The World Economic Forum linked all of the biggest and most likely risks to human well-being to the environment (extreme weather, climate action failure, biodiversity loss and human-made environmental disasters).

American biologist Paul Ehrlich once compared the loss of species to randomly removing rivets from the wing of an aeroplane. The plane might continue to fly for a while, but at some point, there will be a catastrophic failure. Our own survival is under threat.

BUT – there is still hope! We can still turn the tide on biodiversity loss and avoid the worst impacts of climate change – provided we take real action fast and at massive scale! Time is our biggest challenge. According to the latest IPCC Special Report (SR 1.5 report on global warming of 1.5°C), the next 8 years will be decisive. Global greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut by half and the destruction of nature halted and reversed. Without transformational action this decade, humanity is taking colossal risks with our common future. Societies risk large-scale, irreversible changes to Earth’s biosphere and our lives as part of it.

There is now an existential need to build economies and societies that support Earth system harmony rather than disrupt it.

Links

• The European environment — state and outlook 2020 (SOER), European Environment Agency: https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/soer-2020

• IPCC Special Report (SR 1.5 report on global warming of 1.5°C)

• Stockholm Resilience Center, Planetary boundaries: https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/ planetary-boundaries/planetary-boundaries/about-the-research/the-nine-planetary-boundaries.html and

• World at risk of passing multiple climate tipping points above 1.5°C global warming - Stockholm Resilience Centre

• World Economic Forum Global Risk Report 2022 https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risksreport-2022/digest

Why does it really matter?

✖ Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse are one of the biggest threats facing humanity in the next decade

✖ Humanity has been using more resources than the Earth can produce in a year since the 1970s. It would now take 1.6 Earths to meet the demands we make on nature each year

✖ Up to 300 million people already face a higher risk of floods and hurricanes because of loss of coastal habitats and protection

Our collective impact on nature is unprecedented in the history of the planet. Human action has significantly altered three quarters of the land-based environment and two thirds of the marine environment. In 2022, Earth Overshoot day – the day on which we used more resources than the Earth can replenish in a year – was 28 July.

More than one third of the world’s land surface and nearly three quarters of freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production.

Losing biodiversity means losing options for the future, such as developing new drugs. Some 70% of cancer drugs are either natural products or synthetic ones inspired by nature, and 4 billion people rely primarily on natural medicines. Biodiversity loss means the loss of countless medicines before they are ever discovered – an irretrievable loss to humanity.

It matters on a personal level as well. Nature has many preventive and restorative effects on health. Regular contact with nature can reduce stress and promote physical activity, with a positive effect on mood, concentration and health, and lowering the risks linked to inactive lifestyles.

Land degradation has already reduced the productivity of nearly one quarter of global land surface. European wild pollinators are declining dramatically in diversity and abundance, and many are approaching extinction. According to the European Red List of Trees, nearly half of Europe’s endemic trees face extinction. The perception that the seas and ocean are a source of rich, bountiful resources capable of absorbing unlimited human waste and exploitation no longer holds true.

Links

• CBD Biodiversity and health https://www.cbd.int/health/stateofknowledge/

• Overshoot Day https://www.overshootday.org/

• CBD Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO5) Report

So why are we losing biodiversity?

✖ Habitat loss, over-exploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species all contribute to biodiversity loss

✖ The underlying cause is unsustainable human activities

✖ Demand for new resources is driving deforestation, changing patterns of land use, and destroying natural habitats all around the globe

The main reason behind the climate and ecological crisis is unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. The cumulative effect of an economic model where we design, manufacture, use, and then throw away rather than reducing, reusing or recycling has had unintended side-effects.

Extracting and processing materials, fuels and food is the reason for 90% of biodiversity loss and half of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Resource Panel.

Our consumerist economic model often means that political cycles and public and financial institutions are focused on short-term concerns, ignoring the wider implications for the longer term.

Climate change is already having an impact on biodiversity loss, interacting with other drivers and making them worse. It is also likely to increase the effects of the other causes of biodiversity loss in the future. These effects will be even more marked as the temperature continues to rise.

In Europe, the main cause of biodiversity loss is land-use and sea-use change. Farming and forestry practices have become more intensive, with more chemical additives, fewer spaces between fields, and fewer varieties of crops. This lack of variety means far fewer insects, for example, and consequently fewer birds. Agricultural subsidies linked to production, encouraging quantity over quality and variety, are also a factor. European seas are also subject to a number of factors that impact biodiversity, including overfishing, sea floor damage, pollution and the spread of non-indigenous species.

Intensive agriculture systems have become a major driver of biodiversity loss. The widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers, soil erosion and the replacement of untouched forests with agricultural land are all having a negative effect on the health of the world’s ecosystems. When soils degrade, they become less fertile, require more chemical inputs, and lose their capacity to retain water and carbon. This in turn makes floods more frequent and more intense, and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, while excess fertilizers find their way into the sea, choking marine life.

Cities and urban areas have also expanded enormously, sealing soils and leaving less room for nature. And when farmland and urban developments leave no room for nature, the result is a loss of the natural world. Many citizens and businesses are unaware of the extent to which our society depends on biodiversity. The use of GDP as the main measurement of economic development can also obscure the full extent of our impact on the environment.

Links

• SDGs Global Resources Outlook 2019 https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/ handle/20.500.11822/27518/GRO_2019_SPM_EN.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed

• https://sdg.iisd.org/news/global-outlook-highlights-resource-extraction-as-main-cause-of-climatechange-biodiversity-loss/

What does this mean for business?

✖ Over half of global GDP depends on nature and the value it provides

✖ The costs of inaction are high and are anticipated to increase

✖ Biodiversity conservation has potential direct economic benefits for many sectors of the economy

Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse threaten the foundations of our economy. According to the World Economic Forum, over half of global GDP depends on nature and the services it provides, with three key economic sectors – construction, agriculture, food and drink, and fisheries – all highly dependent on it. The world lost an estimated €3.5-18.5 trillion per year in ecosystem services from 1997 to 2011 owing to land-cover change, and an estimated €5.5-10.5 trillion per year from land degradation.

Businesses are beginning to realise that they depend on natural resources for food, fibres, and building material. Ecosystems pollinate crops, filter water, help waste to decompose, and regulate the climate. Losing nature has immediate costs for businesses in terms of operational risks, continuity of supply chains, liability risks and risks to reputation, market share and finance. So with the current unprecedented rate of nature loss, natural capital is becoming a material issue for most business, leading to scarcity problems and quality issues.

Front-running businesses recognise these risks, but their understanding has not yet become mainstream. There is often little knowledge about how business models and sourcing of materials depend on nature and biodiversity, and little understanding of the interaction between resource efficiency, ecosystems services, biodiversity, the cost of inaction, and climate change. Policy makers need to provide better accounting frameworks that enable companies to understand their dependence and effects on nature.

In addition to accounting for their dependence and impact on nature, when businesses invest in ecosystems restoration, this can also bring tangible benefits. Conserving marine stocks could increase annual profits of the seafood industry by more than €49 billion, while protecting coastal wetlands could save the insurance industry around €50 billion annually through reducing flood damage losses. Natural capital investment, including restoration of carbon-rich habitats and climate-friendly agriculture, is recognised to be among the five most important fiscal recovery policies, which offer high economic multipliers and positive climate impact.

Links

• World Economic Forum (2020), The Future of Nature and Business http://www3.weforum.org/docs/ WEF_The_Future_Of_Nature_And_Business_2020.pdf

• The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ final-report-the-economics-of-biodiversity-the-dasgupta-review

• EU Business and Biodiversity Platform https://ec.europa.eu/environment/biodiversity/business/index_ en.htm

Biodiversity and resilience

✖ The more nature is under threat, the more vulnerable we all become.

✖ Only healthy and diverse forests can store water, carbon and prevent forest fires. Only healthy marine ecosystems can feed people and help regulate the climate.

✖ Working with nature is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to solve urgent problems with respect to climate change, food security, and human health.

Taking better care of nature allows us to mitigate and adapt to climate change, often at a very low cost.

Nature is our best carbon removal ‘technology’. Nothing removes carbon more efficiently and cheaply from the atmosphere than forests, wetlands and seas. Peatlands store nearly 30% of global soil carbon while covering only 3% of the world’s land area. Restoring drained peatlands could save up to 25% of Europe’s agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Nature also lessens the impact of natural disasters such as floods, droughts and heatwaves. Restoring flood plains of rivers can reduce economic damage and the exposure of the population to flooding by up to 70%. Trees cool the land surface temperature of cities in Europe by up to 12°C.

Investing in restoration on land and in the ocean is the smart solution – every euro spent on nature restoration generates at least eight times its value in returns. Farmers get better soil and steady pollination, communities get better flood protection, clean water and cooler cities, fishers get recovering fish stocks, and foresters get more resilient forests.

The economic cost of nature degradation is remarkably high, with the cost of EU soil degradation now exceeding €50 billion per year. Restoring flood plains of rivers can reduce economic damage and the exposure of the population to flooding by up to 70 %. And given that nearly 5-8 % of current global crop production is directly attributable to animal pollination, the decline of pollinator populations means ever greater financial risk for farmers growing pollinator-dependent crops.

Nature is essential for human health. Healthy ecosystems also help significantly reduce pollution, filtering both water and air. They are sources of medicines, with around 60 000 species – plants, animals, fungi and microbes – used for their medicinal, nutritional and aromatic properties. Spending time in nature improves mental health, lowers stress levels and the prevalence of diseases, and reduces levels of allergies.

Across the board, the benefits of nature restoration far outweigh the costs. The longer we wait, the more problems we store up for the future.

Links

• https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/fs_22_3749

• Science for Env Policy future brief: European forest for biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation https://op.europa.eu/s/w7yj