Transformative Action

Transformative actions

The challenge WE ALL FACE

What is
transformative Action?

Given the scale of both the climate and biodiversity crises, halting and reversing biodiversity loss will entail to fundamentally change our economies, policies, and mindsets. “Urgent and concerted efforts fostering transformative change” are needed.

The Biodiversity Plan (GBF) has reflected this in its 23 targets aimed at “reducing threats to biodiversity” while “meeting people’s needs through sustainable use and benefit-sharing” and asking for Parties to provide “tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming”.

According to the IPBES global assessment, transformative change means taking parallel roads to sustainable development and working together to change the way decisions are made and resources allocated to include all stakeholders in what the GBF text calls “transformative action by Governments, and subnational and local authorities, with the involvement of all of society”.

Addressing the problem

The actions must address direct drivers (such as climate change, land-and sea-use change, pollution, invasive alien species, overexploitation of biodiversity) AND indirect drivers (such as unsustainable economic activities and practices) of biodiversity degradation and loss.

An ambitious plan

The Biodiversity Plan (GBF) “sets out an ambitious plan to implement broad-based action to bring about a transformation in our societies’ relationship with biodiversity by 2030”.

This is reflected in the Biodiversity Plan (GBF) Targets 2 and 3, more focused on restoration and conservation and other ones on sustainable production (Target 10) and consumption (Target 16). This is also reflected in other targets, such as Target 12 on urban planning, Target 14 on the integration of biodiversity into policies, Target 15 on the role of the private sector and Target 18 on harmful incentives and subsidies reform.

Transformative actions for implementation can involve ambitious steps by various actors in parallel that can be up scaled and open the way to full implementation.

Who is involved?

These actions must therefore involve all stakeholders including decision makers and practitioners, SNLGs, businesses, IPLCs, women, girls, children and youth and communicate the multiple benefits, not only for nature, but also for people’s well-being, resilience and livelihoods, and future generations.

Finally, transformative actions should foresee possible negative effects as for instance on certain economic activities and should therefore plan measures to alleviate them and engage with affected groups to address their concerns and reduce the transition’s negative effects.

The goals and targets of The Biodiversity Plan, (GBF) are global in nature. Each Party would contribute to attaining its goals and targets by 2030 in accordance with national circumstances, priorities, socioeconomic conditions and capabilities.

Why do we need transformative actions?

If all these elements are met, transformative change becomes possible and biodiversity can be mainstreamed into society and economy, with a clear final vision, but many small roads going in the right direction.

Achieving the ambitions of the GBF, The Biodiversity Plan, requires transformative change. Embedding six key principles at the heart of the GBF provides the concrete means to trigger transformative action for all levels of government and across the whole of society. Read our publication now to learn why transformative change is crucial to achieve the goals of The Biodiversity Plan (the GBF) by 2030.