Lhe state of the global environment is a source of growing concern, with ample evidence indicating the urgent need for comprehensive policy responses. Faced with multiple and often interconnected challenges, decision-makers seek answers guided by scientific assessments. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) are pillars in this endeavour, providing perspectives on the state of the environment and informing political decisions around the world.
The well-being of human societies has been primarily understood in terms of economic growth and materialistic development. It took a few centuries to fully realize that environmental degradation was inextricably linked to a loss of human well-being at all scales, from local to global. Moreover, as the first report of the International Panel on Social Progress points out in 2018, while the “size of the pie” matters – economic growth has helped lift people out of poverty – it has become clear that this what counts is how the cake is shared!
Nature conservation has become essential to guarantee not only the quality of life, but also the sustainability of this quality of life to which all human societies aspire. Such a quality of life presupposes access to clean and safe drinking water; clean air; a healthy and adequate diet; clean energy for cooking, heating and lighting; and safety from disasters. It is clear that if 75% of the world’s population does not have these basics, it means that air, water, land and energy are not managed properly and require urgent action.
As the world examines the record of environmental and development actions, the question of societal progress is paramount. If, historically, the hare of development had to meet society’s expectations and the tortoise of the environment somehow caught up, the two must now run together, and quickly.
Lack of political will
At the heart of these challenges is a fundamental interconnection between climate change and biodiversity loss, with each phenomenon exacerbating the impacts of the other. Biodiversity loss compromises the resilience of ecosystems to climate change, while climate change in turn threatens biodiversity through habitat destruction and alteration.
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