Biodiversity Your browser does not support the audio element. Major new initiatives on climate change and the environment are announced in 2020, including a legislative proposal on a climate neutral EU by 2050, an impact-assessed plan to increase the 2030 climate ambition, a Circular Economy Action Plan and a Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Over three billion people globally depend on marine biodiversity for their livelihoods and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projects the 'ocean economy' to double to ~ $3 trillion by 2030. Further investment is expected under the EU's new Green Deal and a European Commission committed to more support for Africa's climate action, environment and biodiversity. European Union member states have been conducting national ecosystem assessments and the European Commission plans to release its new biodiversity strategy later this year with new commitments to address the main causes of biodiversity loss in the EU. Consideration of biodiversity as a human right can provide an opportunity to align support from the EU and explore innovative partnerships as part of a holistic human rights-based approach to biodiversity conservation. During this 'Super Year' for biodiversity world leaders will develop a global strategic plan for biodiversity, agree to nature-related articles in the Paris Agreement, set a global ocean agenda, and launch a Decade of Action, including the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, to be launched in 2021. An oceans treaty will be agreed, biodiversity targets announced, it's the first opportunity for nations to increase their climate goals, and the start of the decade to scale action for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The UN Strategic Plan for Biodiversity (2011-2020) calls for countries to bring about the sustained recovery of species most at risk of extinction. Results predict decreased freshwater biodiversity in about 15% of the world's rivers in 2100 from a combination of reduced run-off (caused by climate change) and increased water withdrawals for human use. Four of the five major risks listed in the World Economic Forum's 2020 Global Risks Report are environmental: climate change, biodiversity loss, extreme weather and the water crisis. Today's biggest dangers are all ecological in nature: water crises, biodiversity loss, extreme weather, climate change, and pollution. If land use is carefully managed to avoid further loss of areas important for biodiversity and ecosystem services, global GDP could rise by $490bn per year above the business as usual calculation. If the world radically changes course to more sustainable development, protecting areas that are most critical for biodiversity and ecosystem services, the global annual GDP could grow $11 billion by 2050. Climate change projected to the mid-21st century and beyond could result in global redistribution of marine species and the reduction of marine biodiversity in sensitive regions. On the global stage, there is a window of opportunity over the next year to address biodiversity loss as countries negotiate a new framework for biodiversity. Biodiversity is under serious threat in many regions of the world and it is time for policymakers to take action at national, regional and global levels. Climate change is another of the U.N. report's top five threats to biodiversity, and fighting it by planting trees to trap greenhouse gases sparked conversation this year. Mining is another often overlooked issue that poses a significant threat to biodiversity. The effective and efficient conservation of agricultural biodiversity is vital to meeting the global challenges of food and nutritional security for an expanding world population under the threat of climate change. Invasive species are a serious threat to biodiversity worldwide and predicting whether an introduced species will first establish and become invasive can be useful to preserve ecosystem services. Biodiversity loss in terrestrial environments is projected to accelerate the decline in local diversity of native species in four scenarios by 2050. The interactive effects of global climate change, deforestation and fire are viewed as major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Amazon over the coming century by the vast majority of the scientific community. Global change is projected to cause dramatic degradation of biodiversity and all types of ecosystem services. See full forecast Last updated: 05 July 2020 Hi, Would you like a quick online demo of our service from an experienced member of our team? Yes No
