We are facing a biodiversity crisis. Wildlife populations have plummeted over the past 50 years and scientists warn that we are on the verge of the sixth mass extinction. Meeting this challenge is enormously complex, and make no mistake: It will be expensive. That’s why we need a solid financial plan for the planet. How much money is the global community spending on biodiversity conservation? How much should it be spending if we are going to sustainably manage biodiversity for the long term? Furthermore, having identified this “biodiversity financing gap,” what are the financial and policy mechanisms that, if implemented, could result in the global community closing this gap?
A new report entitled “Financing Nature: Closing the Global Biodiversity Financing Gap” makes a strong economic case for conserving biodiversity. The report, which grew out of a collaboration between The Nature Conservancy, the Paulson Institute, and the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, confronts some of the most pressing questions impacting life on Earth and includes recommendations on how to reverse biodiversity loss, reduce financial risk, bolster economic growth, and translate the urgency of these actions for both government budgets and private, return-seeking capital.
In this session, the team behind this important research will engage in an in-depth discussion of the current state of biodiversity on Earth and how the global community can — and must — address this critical challenge in a financially sound way.
