What is the link between biodiversity and climate? The new IPBES reports

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Last December, the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) published two new landmark reports, the result of work by over 700 international experts. The first document (Nexus report) highlights the interconnections between biodiversity, water, food, and climate, issues that are often treated separately but are closely linked. The second report emphasizes the urgency of transformative change to address global challenges: an ambitious and complex approach, but more sustainable and less costly than the risks of inaction. These reports represent a call for immediate action, promoting integrated and long-term strategies to ensure a safer future for our planet.

The Summary for Policymakers of the Nexus Assessment, drafted by 165 international experts, represents the first comprehensive scientific study on the interconnections between biodiversity, water, food, climate change, and human health. This work comes at a time when biodiversity is experiencing a decline between 2% and 6% each decade, with significant impacts on ecosystems and resource availability. The Nexus Assessment underscores how environmental crises are closely interconnected. For example, intensive agricultural practices have increased food production but have also contributed to biodiversity loss, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. This report highlights the need to adopt an integrated approach that simultaneously considers these factors, promoting solutions that can address multiple crises at once.

The Transformative Change Assessment draws attention to the need for a radical transformation in our relationship with nature. The report highlights that current policies and practices are not sufficient to reverse biodiversity loss and that profound changes are needed in economic, political, and social systems. This includes revising consumption and production models, adopting sustainable agricultural practices, and promoting values that recognize the intrinsic importance of nature. Prof. Agrawal stated that it is essential to promote and accelerate transformative change to achieve the 23 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by 2030, as well as to realize the vision for biodiversity by 2050, which envisions a world where all forms of life can thrive. The report identifies the main causes of biodiversity loss in the disconnection between people and nature.

Transformative change not only improves living conditions but can also help solve the financial crisis. Currently, more than half of the world's GDP comes from activities highly dependent on nature, yet the production model continues to harm the environment. This topic has been extensively debated and is reiterated in the report by the Rockstrom and Locke working group, who in 2021 introduced the concept of "Nature Positive". The advice is to move from a model of three intersecting circles to one of concentric circles, where the outermost circle represents the environment, the second society, and the innermost circle the economy, which cannot exist without nature.

Both IPBES reports highlight the importance of immediate and coordinated global action. IPBES notes that while the challenges are immense, there are significant opportunities to promote positive change. For example, adopting nature-based solutions can simultaneously contribute to biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and improving food and water security. The reports propose 71 intervention options divided into ten categories, ranging from ecosystem conservation to sustainable consumption.

More than half of the global GDP, amounting to 58 trillion dollars, directly depends on nature, while governments spend between 1.4 and 3.3 trillion dollars annually on subsidies for environmentally harmful sectors. In view of these figures, only 135 billion dollars are invested in biodiversity protection, with a need ranging from 598 to 824 billion. Bridging this gap could generate an economic potential of 10 trillion dollars and create 395 million jobs by 2030. Closing the gap in biodiversity investment is not only a responsibility but also a true opportunity. Every dollar invested in nature protection has the potential to generate significant economic returns, while simultaneously strengthening the resilience of our planet and global economies.

This article was created as part of the "Biodiversity services EU expansion" project (CUP: E43D22000480009) under the call of Regione Lombardia "PR FESR 2021-2027 – LINEA INTERNAZIONALIZZAZIONE 21-27", aimed at supporting the internationalization of Italian companies. 3Bee is the naturetech company that develops innovative technologies for monitoring, protecting, and regenerating biodiversity, supporting companies in defining customized climate strategies based on the analysis of their impacts and dependencies on nature. With a strong portfolio in Italy, Germany, and France and significant partnerships, 3Bee continues its expansion into international markets to create a concrete impact through technology.