Assuring biodiversity protection and risk mitigation today and every day
Today, 22nd May 2025, marks the International Day of Biological Diversity. This year’s theme of harmony with nature and sustainable development comes as we move closer to 2030 and critical targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). We explore the context, and what's next.
Assessing the State of Nature
Biodiversity – the richness and variety of all life on Earth - is fundamental to human well-being, a healthy planet, and economic prosperity and underpins everything from food, medicine, energy, clean air, and water, and more. Every single organisation has impacts and dependencies on it and nature writ large.
Yet, biodiversity is in crisis:
· The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Nexus report released in 2024 stated that biodiversity is ‘declining at every level from global to local, and across every region. These ongoing declines in nature, largely as a result of human activity, including climate change, have direct and dire impacts on food security and nutrition, water quality and availability, health and wellbeing outcomes, resilience to climate change and almost all of nature’s other contributions to people.’
· The World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Report 2024 highlighted an average 73% decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations since 1970.
· While global coverage or extent of protected and conserved areas that play a key role in biodiversity protection has increased, it has only just passed 17% on land and 8% in the marine realm according to the Protected Planet report released by IBAT Alliance partners IUCN and UNEP-WCMC.
The impacts are environmental, social, and economic. The Nexus report found that “unaccounted-for costs of current approaches to economic activity – reflecting impacts on biodiversity, water, health and climate change, including from food production– are at least $10-25 trillion per year,” with “…Delayed action on climate change adds at least $500 billion per year in additional costs for meeting policy targets.”
A blueprint for biodiversity conservation and meaningful targets
In 2022, almost 200 countries agreed on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF)following a four-year consultation and negotiation process. It includes:
· A vision of harmony with nature by 2050 underpinned by an ambitious blueprint for transformation of the world’s relationship with nature, with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and the Pact for the Future.
· Implementation of the SDGs through society- and economy-wide transformations, including in agrifood systems, infrastructure, industry, energy systems consumption and production patterns, water and ecosystem management, urban planning, education, and gender equality.
· 23 action targets of the KMGBF are aligned with the 2030Agenda for sustainable development and its 17 SDGs and contribute to their achievement. Target 3 focuses on the protection and conservation of at least 30% of land, waters and seas by 2030.
· National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPS) required to reflect the ambition of the KMGBF.
Successful implementation of the KMGBF and the SDGs requires a ‘whole-of-government, whole-of-society’ approach.
Harnessing risk management across business operations and value chains
In recent years, biodiversity has gone from being a relative side topic in sustainability to a core part of the conversation. It is increasingly recognised as a material risk to business with many incorporating it in resilience plans, and asset managers leveraging biodiversity insights to make decisions about projects and investments. Regulations, standards, and frameworks are promoting disclosure with an emphasis not just on measurement but action.
Understanding your organisations' potential impacts species and sensitive areas is the first step in identifying not only the risks but the opportunities to protect biodiversity and help strengthen the ecosystem services we all rely on.
Contact our team of experts to find out how we can help.
