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Solving the nature loss crisis: what needs to change?
It’s not too late for nature to recover, but we need big, bold solutions. Restoring nature will require unprecedented conservation efforts that meet the scale of the nature loss crisis, and an urgent transformation of our food, energy and finance systems.
TRANSFORMING CONSERVATION
Despite the alarming overall decline in nature globally, the populations of many species have stabilized or increased as a result of conservation efforts. But isolated successes and merely slowing nature loss aren’t enough – and conservation efforts that don’t take account of the needs of people won’t succeed in the long run.
1. More protection
Protected areas currently cover 16% of the planet’s lands and 8% of its oceans – but many of these areas aren’t effectively managed. We must protect 30% of our planet’s lands and waters and restore 30% of degraded areas by 2030. This is an unmissable opportunity to scale up effective conservation to unprecedented levels.
2. Indigenous lands
Supporting and recognizing the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities may be one of the most effective ways to conserve biodiversity at scale. Indigenous territories cover a quarter of the global land area, including a large proportion of the places that are most important for biodiversity conservation. In many cases, the species and ecosystems in these territories have been sustainably managed for centuries.
3. Nature-based solutions
Working with rather than against nature can be a way to address other important issues for society. For example, restoring forests, wetlands and coastal habitats can absorb carbon emissions and help communities adapt to climate change impacts. Nature-based solutions for climate mitigation have the potential to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 10–19%, while also benefiting ecosystems and improving livelihoods.
TRANSFORMING OUR FOOD SYSTEM
Our food system is the number one driver of nature’s decline. Food production uses 40% of all habitable land, is the leading cause of habitat loss, accounts for 70% of water use and is responsible for over a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. And yet it doesn’t deliver the nutrition we need: nearly a third of people don’t regularly get enough nutritious food, while a similar proportion are overweight. So what can we do?
1. Nature-positive production
It’s possible to provide enough food for everyone while also allowing nature to flourish. Nature-positive farming practices can improve crop yields and livestock productivity while helping to restore ecosystems, biodiversity and soil health. By rebuilding and sustainably managing fish stocks we could harvest more seafood from the wild, while there are also opportunities to sustainably increase aquaculture production.
2. Healthy, planet-friendly diets
If everybody ate a Western-style diet high in meat, fats and sugars, we’d need several Earth’s worth of resources. About 71% of all agricultural land is currently used for grazing, with a further 11% used to grow crops for animal feed. Eating more plant-based foods and fewer animal products is better for our health and better for the planet – though dietary choices will vary in different places, and it’s vital that we also address undernutrition and food insecurity.
3. Reduce food loss and waste
An estimated 30–40% of all food produced is never eaten, representing around a quarter of total global calories produced, one-fifth of agricultural land and water use, and 4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But there’s huge opportunities to reduce food loss and waste – from better storage and processing technologies in supply chains, to getting smarter about what we buy and cook.
4. Redirecting farming and fishing subsidies
Each year, governments spend an estimated US$635 million on farming subsidies that drive nature loss, plus around US$22 billion on subsidies that encourage overfishing. These sums could more than cover the costs of scaling up nature-positive production, reducing food loss and waste, supporting people to switch to healthier diets and keeping nutritious food affordable for all.
TRANSFORMING OUR ENERGY SYSTEM
The way we produce and consume energy is the main driver of our climate crisis. To avoid climate catastrophe, we need to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, rapidly transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. This energy transition must be fast, green and fair, putting people and nature first.
1. A faster transformation
In the last decade, global renewable energy capacity has roughly doubled and costs for wind, solar and batteries have fallen by up to 85%. We’re going in the right direction – but we need to do much more, much faster. Over the next six years, we need to triple renewable energy, double energy efficiency, electrify 20–40% of light-duty vehicles, and modernize energy grids. This will require a tripling of investment to at least US$4.5 trillion annually by 2030.
2. A greener transformation
Ditching fossil fuels will be better for the climate, people’s health and nature. But transforming the energy system could bring its own challenges – from hydropower fragmenting rivers and bioenergy crops driving habitat loss, to mining for critical minerals damaging sensitive ecosystems. We need careful planning and environmental safeguards to make sure the energy transition is genuinely clean and green.
3. A fairer transformation
Today, over 770 million people don’t have electricity and nearly 3 billion people still burn kerosene, coal, wood or other biomass for cooking. This contributes to poverty, deforestation and indoor air pollution – a major cause of premature deaths that disproportionately impacts women and children. We need a just energy transition where everyone can benefit from modern and safe sources of energy.
TRANSFORMING FINANCE
Over half of global GDP – or an estimated US$58 trillion – depends on nature and the services it provides. Yet our current economic system values nature at close to zero. As a result, almost US$7 trillion per year is poured into activities that fuel the nature and climate crises, while just US$200 billion is spent on nature-based solutions.
1. Investing in nature
Tackling the climate and nature crises and transforming our food and energy systems will require massive investment. It’s possible – but it will require a seismic shift to get finance flowing in the right direction, away from harming the planet and toward healing it. There’s an urgent need to scale up new finance solutions involving the public and private sector – from green financial products to long-term investment in nature-positive businesses.
2. Linking nature and finance
Our financial system and the economies it supports couldn’t survive without functioning ecosystems, biodiversity, water and a stable climate. Banks and financial institutions need to account for the value of nature and climate, consider nature-related risks in all the decisions they make, and ensure the organizations they lend to do the same.
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