Today marks the International Day for Biological Diversity. Biodiversity includes diversity within species, between species and in ecosystems. While 1,800 million species of animals, plants and fungi have been described, it is estimated that 100,000 million more species are yet to be discovered¹. However,  biodiversity is so much more than that, as it encompasses all the complex interactions between living organisms that form the perfectly balanced ecosystems which support life. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, all rely on these ecological interactions. Biodiversity is also responsible for sequestering carbon and providing protection from storm  surges, mitigating climate change and its effects. The health and prosperity of our society, our cultures, our economies, our livelihoods and our very survival are dependent on biodiversity. 

Yet, these natural life support systems are at risk of collapsing as a direct consequence of destructive human activities. For centuries, humankind has over-exploited its environment, prioritising short-term benefits for the  few over long-term benefits for the many. Now, more than one million species are at risk of extinction, posing wide ranging consequences for all life. In fact, the rapid loss of species we are observing today is estimated to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate².

The rate of human induced change in the natural world in the past decades is unprecedented: we exploit and degrade it on a scale never witnessed before in history. Land and sea-use change, habitat destruction and direct exploitation of living organisms are responsible for the largest negative impact on nature since 1970. The fastest growing symptom of accelerated environmental shifts is climate change, causing significant damage to already fragile natural systems and ultimately, undermining human health and well-being. Moreover, increasing levels of pollution, as well as the growing threat of invasive alien species, further degrade ecosystems². 

All of these drivers are fuelled by unprecedented population and economic growth. In the past 50 years, the human population has doubled, more than half of the global population lives in urban areas, the global economy has grown fourfold and global trade  tenfold, driving the increasing demand for energy, materials and space. In addition, our growing need for food has resulted in domestication and over-breeding of few animal species, transforming natural areas into large-scale farms and arable land for animal feed². By weight, 97% of the world’s vertebrate land animals are now either humans or our farm animals – just 3% are wild¹. Economic growth has historically been prioritized with little to no regard to the disastrous environmental and social consequences. Our societal system is currently based on the exploitation of nature, accelerating environmental degradation. 

During these worrying times, indigenous communities around the world demonstrate that living in harmony with nature is possible. Land owned, managed or occupied by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) represents over a quarter of the global continental area. Environmental degradation in these territories is significantly lower. However, this traditional knowledge is continually lost over time as indigenous cultures, practices and  land are increasingly under pressure. We can no longer continue down this self-destructive path unless we are ready to accept irreversible species and ecosystem loss, growing social inequalities and unimaginable human suffering. Reframing the way we relate to non-humans (Latour 1993) is now a necessity, as many efforts have attempted but have fallen short under the domination of the neoliberal model, remaining insufficient to meet the targets decision-makers have set.

The COVID-19 pandemic is just one consequence of our destructive relationship with nature, as biodiversity loss remains the largest long-term threat to life on Earth. To halt this we need to work together across all sectors of society to fundamentally reimagine the way we interact with nature.

Small actions of many have the potential to fuel transformative change. Here are 10 steps we all can take to protect biodiversity:

1. Plant a variety of wildflowers and native plants (fruits and vegetables) in your garden/balcony to support pollinator biodiversity and local plant diversity.
2. Stick to the path when hiking or walking around nature, to reduce the impact on your immediate surroundings.
3. Walk or cycle for short distances instead of taking the car to reduce your carbon footprint.
4. Reduce your water use, this can help to protect ecosystems, especially wetlands.
5. Reduce, reuse and recycle. This reduces pollution by decreasing energy, and water consumption, and further decouples the need to produce raw material
6. Buy local organic foods to reduce your carbon footprint, support local producers, sustainable farming and protect biodiversity.
7. Shift to a mainly plant-based diet by reducing your meat (especially beef) and dairy consumption to reduce your carbon footprint and habitat encroachment. 
8. Buy sustainably sourced seafood and avoid fish from unsustainable, overfished, vulnerable and/or badly managed fisheries, or those that have high levels of by-catch. This is a helpful guide. 
9. Educate yourself and those around you about the importance of biodiversity to create an environmentally conscious community. Knowledge is power!
10. Use your right to vote. Vote for people with a strong environmental agenda. 

Individual change is crucial yet this collective issue needs to be met with collective action, and a radical attitude change towards biodiversity. 

The EU is seen as a worldwide leader in the field of environmental protection. It possesses several legislation, including the Natura 2000 network to enforce the Birds and Habitats Directives, the EU ETS (Emission Trading System) aimed at reducing greenhouse gases emissions, the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy to preserve biodiversity across all domains and the Farm to fork Strategy to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly. 

However, according to the European Environmental Agency (EEA)³⁴, “the state of the environment has worsened”, while the 2030 “outlook is mixed”. The biodiversity targets set for 2020 have largely been missed. The EU itself evaluated that there has been no significant progress towards its headline target of halting biodiversity loss by 2020⁵. The majority of objectives (4/7) have had “progress but at an insufficient rate”. Moreover, the EEA states that most of the goals for 2030 with regards to developing a low-carbon economy, safeguarding our populations from environmental risks or preserving our natural environment are “largely” or “partially” not on track. Is it sufficient to be “partially on track” for a leading political entity in the field of environmental protection? We, as representatives of youth, think we should go further. Progress is simply too slow, and time is not on our side.

Is it satisfying that the European Green Deal still prioritises growth⁶, albeit “more inclusive” or “sustainable”? Or, that some businesses already try to challenge this effort⁷ using the Covid-19 crisis as an excuse? Collectively, we have the opportunity to create a better future. Implementing action decided at the EU level should be the precondition, not the end of a journey for us to live in a new society. 

Changing our mentalities is taking a necessary next step to protect our environment. With regards to biodiversity policies, decision-makers and societies should strive to move beyond  restrictive terms of “intrinsic” or “instrumental” value. Both are true in some ways, however nature is much more than a place for us to exploit or an entity valuable merely for itself. On the contrary, we should celebrate the way in which our societies and environments depend on one another. For instance, we could approach nature from a “relational value” perspective that focuses on how humans relate, depend on and can be beneficial to their environment. Shaping our mentalities, pushing for different approaches to Biological Diversity would lead the way to policy change, and therefore promote action. The change to preserve our world needs to be systemic, all-encompassing, and profound. It must challenge our views of Nature, which is not a place to dominate and exploit but to thrive with and within. 

Decision-makers that have the capacity to provoke such a change should work together with all sectors of society, ensuring meaningful participation of all, including the youth. Our States, and Unions should become more than tools to increase competitiveness and free trade. They have the ability and responsibility to make a difference in saving the world as we know it, which requires more than COP Agreements or Green Deals.  Thinking with ambition and in a holistic manner would finally allow us to act both in the interest of humans and non-humans, all of biodiversity, in our common interest. Together we can halt biodiversity loss, create a fairer society and a more prosperous future for all. 

Endnotes

1.  David Carrington (2018), What is biodiversity and why does it matter to us?

2.  IPBES (2019) The Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services 

3.  European Environmental Agency, (2020), The European Environment state and outlook 2020, pp. 12-13. 

4.  European Environmental Agency (2019), Europe’s state of the environment 2020: change of direction urgently needed to face climate change challenges, reverse degradation and ensure future prosperity. 

5.  https://chm.cbd.int/pdf/documents/nationalReport6/243509/1

6.  European Commission (2020), A European Green Deal. 

7.  European Environmental Bureau (2020), 5 ways opportunist lobbyists are using coronavirus to attack environmental laws. 

Reading Material

Articles:

• What is biodiversity and why does it matter to us? | News | The Guardian 
• One million species at risk of extinction, UN report warns | National Geographic 
• Opinion | We Made the Coronavirus Epidemic – The New York Times 
• Fight Pandemics Like Wildfires With Prevention and a Plan to Share the Costs

Reports:

• IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services 
• 6th Report of the European Union to the Convention on biological Diversity EU 6th 

Going further in challenging the norm: 

• Latour, Bruno (1993), We Have Never Been Modern, Harvard University Press.
• Inderberg, T.H.; Eriksen, S.; O’Brien, K.; Sygna, L. (2014). “Chapter 12: A Socionature Approach to Adaptation”. Climate Change Adaptation and Development: Transforming Paradigms and Practices,Taylor & Francis.
• C. Scott, James (2017), Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States, Yale University Press.