Can we transition to a society that respects biodiversity?

Scientists have long warned that the depletion of species and the limits of the world’s ecosystems are approaching a tipping point. We also know that the problem lies in how we produce and how we consume. Why is it so difficult to reverse the trend and promote biodiversity?

“We need different measures of success than perpetual economic growth. But the really big obstacles to overcome are the forces that drive overconsumption and waste, our limited human perspective and our habits,” says Wijnand Boonstra, researcher in natural resources and sustainable development.

Research shows that up to one million species are under threat of extinction within the next decade. The principal reasons are humanity’s increased use of the land for agriculture, forestry and urbanisation; the exploitation of animals and vegetation in the form of hunting and fishing; and climate change, pollution and the emergence of invasive alien species. Human survival is also threatened by the lack of diversity between, and within, species and ecosystems according to a 2019 evaluation report by the UN-connected Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

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