Our planet’s biodiversity – the variety of species of animals and plants – is collapsing. Given that about half of the global GDP is highly dependent on nature, the consequences can be grave.
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2022 Global Risks Report, biodiversity loss is one of the top three risks in terms of likelihood and impact in the next 10 years[1].
The new sustainability frontier?
Our civilisation now takes from our planet 56% more than it can regenerate[2]. The decline of natural assets will cost the world at least £368 billion a year - adding up to almost £8 trillion by 2050 - roughly equivalent to the combined economies of the UK, France, India and Brazil[3].
Moreover, the effects of human consumption (the five key colour-coded drivers in our chart) are becoming more powerful, spired by exponential population growth, more people joining the middle class with its wealth aspirations, and the wasteful use of natural resources.
Drivers of Biodiversity Loss
Read our new paper to learn the full story of this challenge and see how it can be addressed:
- The scale and key drivers of biodiversity loss globally
- Its effect on markets and the global economy
- What types of investments could potentially encourage positive change
The level of investments needed to make a real difference
[1] https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Global_Risks_Report_2022.pdf
[2] https://www.wwf.fr/sites/default/files/doc-2020-09/20200910_Rapport_Living-Planet-Report-2020_ENGLISH_WWF-min.pdf
[3] https://www.wwf.org.uk/press-release/launch-new-global-futures-report