Biodiversity: Act now for nature and humanity

Bassen, Alexander / Jörg E. Drewes / Markus Fischer / Anna-Katharina Hornidge / Karen Pittel / Hans-Otto Pörtner / Sabine Schlacke / Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann / Anke Weidenkaff
External Publications (2024)

Berlin: WBGU - German Advisory Council on Global Change

ISBN: 978-3-946830-45-0

Dt. Ausg. u.d.T.: Biodiversität: Jetzt dringend handeln für Natur und Mensch

Open access

Only if healthy ecosystems sustainably provide services that are essential for survival can humans also live healthy lives. This requires successful climate protection and biodiversity conservation. In the case of biodiversity, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the new UN Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction offer a unique window of opportunity. The WBGU recommends the guiding concept of a multifunctional mosaic of land and ocean uses: i.e. integrating our thinking on conservation and use in such a way that multiple benefits are created for nature and humanity.  Germany should take decisive action internationally and launch processes to implement both agreements, set up dialogue forums and pioneering coalitions, and launch an education and communication  offensive. Promoting biodiversity should not be financed with tax revenues alone, but also involve the private sector, for example by reallocating environmentally harmful subsidies and by ensuring clear reporting and taxonomy. The costs of inaction should be understood.