According to the World Economic Forum 2020 Global Risk Report, biodiversity loss is now ranked as the second most impactful and third most likely risk for the next decade. Biodiversity loss has critical social and economic consequences; from the collapse of food and health systems, to the disruption of entire supply chains, not to mention the impacts to the global economy. Increasing efforts to place a monetary value on goods and services provided by ecosystems now point to an amount of US $33 trillion per year.
The discussion was be underpinned by IPBES’ 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and in particular, its authoritative analysis of the key direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity loss.
Key speakers of this event were:
- Salman Hussein, UN Environment, Head of the Ecosystem Services Economics Unit (AI) – UNEP
- Bob Tansey, Senior Advisor – The Nature Conservancy
- David Cleary, Director, Agriculture – The Nature Conservancy
- Frederick Kumah, Vice-President – African Wildlife Foundation
- Janet Edmond, Senior Director for Peace and Development Partnerships – Conservation International
- Chris Howe, Head of Future Landscapes – WWF UK
The session was divided into three parts. In the first part, partners examined how drivers of loss are currently addressed in the newest iteration of the draft Post-2020 GBF. They assessed where and how ambition needs to be elevated in light of the political challenges and difficulties that may be emerging around the issue of drivers of loss.
In the second part, partners made brief interventions on a range of potential solutions for addressing drivers of loss, which should be included in the negotiation text, either in the form of strengthened existing targets or entirely new targets.
Solutions focused on:
- Regenerative agriculture as a solution for biodiversity conservation;
- Transformative food systems;
- Integrated approaches to health, food security and livelihoods;
- Removal of deforestation and conversion from supply chains;
- Transformation of unsustainable production and consumption. Group discussion will focus on generating concrete solutions that could inform the Post-2020 GBF, alongside the deeper transformative changes needed to turn drivers of loss into drivers of conservation and restoration to enable the delivery of Post-2020 goals and targets.
In the third part of this session, partners identified the strategic considerations for advancing their joined-up messages for the UNGA Biodiversity Summit and the SBSTTA, SBI and OEWG sessions taking place in the fall of 2020. Partners also reflected on how best to shape this important conversation at the formal Drivers of Loss event at the Post-2020 Pavilion at the World Conservation Congress in 2021.
