"Nature is declining globally at a rate unprecedented in human history. And the rate of species extinction is accelerating, already having serious effects on human populations around the world", warns the new and historic report from the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the summary of which was approved at the 7th IPBES plenary session, held from 29 April to 4 May in Paris.
"The overwhelming evidence contained in the global assessment published by IPBES, drawn from a wide range of fields of knowledge, presents a disturbing picture," said IPBES Chairman Sir Robert Watson. "The health of the ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating faster than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life around the world.
"The report also tells us that it is not too late to act, but only if we start doing so now at all levels, from local to global," he added. "Through 'transformative change', nature can still be conserved, restored and used sustainably - which is also essential to meeting most of the other global goals. Transformative change" means a fundamental system-wide change that takes into account technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values.
The Member States of the IPBES plenary recognised that, by its very nature, transformative change can be opposed by those with vested interests in the status quo, but also that this opposition can be overcome for the good of all.
A comprehensive, intergovernmental report
The Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services is the most comprehensive document produced to date. It is the first intergovernmental report of its kind. It builds on the landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment of 2005 and introduces new ways of assessing the evidence.
Prepared by 145 experts? from 50 countries over the last three years, with additional contributions from 310 other experts, the report assesses changes over the last five decades and provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between economic development trajectories and their impacts on nature. The document also proposes a range of possible scenarios for the coming decades.
Based on a systematic review of some 15,000 scientific references and government sources, the report also draws (and for the first time on such a scale) on indigenous and local knowledge, and addresses in particular issues concerning indigenous peoples and local communities.
"The contributions made by biodiversity and nature to people are our common heritage and form the most important 'safety net' for the survival of humanity. But this safety net has been stretched to breaking point", said Professor Sandra Díaz (Argentina), who co-chaired the assessment with Professors Josef Settele (Germany) and Eduardo S. Brondízio (Brazil and USA).
"Diversity within species, between species and within ecosystems, as well as many fundamental contributions that come from nature, are being rapidly degraded, even if we still have the means to ensure a sustainable future for human beings and the planet".
An "unprecedented" and accelerating rate of species extinction
The report estimates that around 1 million animal and plant species are currently threatened with extinction, particularly over the next few decades, something that has never happened before in the history of mankind.
Since 1900, the average abundance of local species in most major terrestrial habitats has declined by at least 20 % on average. More than 40 % of amphibian species, nearly 33 % of coral reefs and more than a third of all marine mammals are threatened. The situation is less clear for insect species, but the data available leads to a provisional estimate of 10 % of threatened species. At least 680 vertebrate species have become extinct since the 16th century and more than 9 % of all domesticated mammal breeds used for food and agriculture had disappeared by 2016, with a further 1,000 breeds under threat.
"Ecosystems, species, wild populations, local plant varieties and local breeds of domestic animals are diminishing, shrinking or disappearing. The essential and interconnected living fabric of the Earth is becoming smaller and more frayed", said Professor Settele. "This loss is a direct consequence of human activity and poses a direct threat to human well-being in all regions of the world."
To increase the political relevance of the report, the authors of the assessment have classified, for the first time on such a scale and on the basis of an in-depth analysis of the available data, the five direct factors of change affecting nature and having the greatest impact on a global scale. The factors responsible are, in descending order :
changes in land and sea use
the direct operation of certain organisms
climate change
pollution
invasive alien species.
The report points out that, since 1980, greenhouse gas emissions have doubled, causing average global temperatures to rise by at least 0.7°C. Climate change is already having an impact on nature, from the level of ecosystems to that of genetic diversity - an impact that is expected to increase over the coming decades and, in some cases, to surpass the impact due to changes in land and sea use and other pressure factors.
SDGs that are difficult to achieve
Despite the progress made in conserving nature and implementing nature-friendly policies, the report also highlights that current trajectories are not sufficient to achieve the global goals of conserving and sustainably exploiting nature. The goals for 2030 and beyond can only be achieved through transformative change in the economy, society, politics and technology.
With only four of the twenty Aichi Biodiversity Targets showing real progress in their implementation, it is likely that most of them will not be achieved by the 2020 deadline. Current negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems will impede progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in 80 % (35 out of 44) of the cases where targets have been assessed; in particular those related to poverty, hunger, health, water, cities, climate, oceans and soils (SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 13, 14 and 15). Biodiversity loss is therefore not only an environmental problem, but also a development, economic, security, social and ethical issue.
"To better understand and, more importantly, to tackle the main causes of damage to biodiversity and the contributions made by nature to people, we need to understand the history and global interconnections between the complex indirect drivers of demographic and economic change, and the social values that underpin them," said Professor Brondízio.
"The main indirect factors include the increase in population and per capita consumption; technological innovation, which has reduced damage to nature in some cases while increasing it in others; and, critically, issues of governance and responsibility. One emerging trend is that of global interconnectivity and 'telecoupling'. In this case, resources are extracted and produced in one part of the world, but are often used to satisfy the needs of distant consumers living in other regions.
A call to action
The report also presents a wide range of examples of sustainable development actions and the trajectories for achieving them in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, marine ecosystems, freshwater ecosystems, urban areas, energy, finance and many others.
The document highlights the importance of adopting integrated management and cross-sectoral approaches that take into account the trade-offs between food and energy production, infrastructure, freshwater and coastal zone management, and biodiversity conservation.
With a view to creating a sustainable global economy, the evolution of the world's financial and economic systems has also been identified as a key element of more sustainable future policies. It moves away from the current overly limited paradigm of economic growth.
"IPBES provides decision-makers with a reliable scientific basis, knowledge and policy options for their analysis," said Dr Anne Larigauderie, Executive Secretary of IPBES. "We thank the hundreds of experts from around the world who have given their time and shared their knowledge to help combat the loss of species, ecosystems and genetic diversity - a truly global and generational threat to human well-being.