Biodiversity

Despite the fundamental importance of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems for life on earth and for our livelihoods and wellbeing, our current patterns of economic production and consumption are driving an alarming and unparalleled decline in biodiversity.

According to the WWF’s Living Planet Report 2022 , 69% of our planet’s wildlife population has been lost since 1970 due to land-use change, over-harvesting, habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and pollution. 75% of our land has been fundamentally altered, 66% of oceans negatively impacted, and 85% of wetlands lost.

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms, ecosystems, and genetic diversity on Earth. Protecting biodiversity is crucial for maintaining ecosystem services, such as clean air and water, pollination, and climate regulation, which are vital for human well-being and economic activities. Environmental and economic governance should aim to conserve and sustainably manage biodiversity through measures like protected areas, sustainable land use practices, and biodiversity-friendly business practices.

Growing concern about the loss of biodiversity and the risks this entails for businesses, society and the economy has accelerated the debate about actions to halt and reverse nature’s decline. Businesses are facing pressure to disclose their contribution to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Increasingly, this also entails legal liabilities and heavy  fines for breaching biodiversity legislation.