species extinction
Scientists criticize the narrow view of nature
Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Large areas of rainforest are destroyed every day. Photo: Marcelo Sayao/EFE/dpa
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In a new report, the World Biodiversity Council IPBES criticizes that political decisions are often about quick profits. But what else nature means is often overlooked.
According to scientists, a narrow view of nature and the pursuit of economic profit often stand in the way of sustainable species protection.
The way in which nature is evaluated in political and economic decisions is a key factor in the global biodiversity crisis – but at the same time also an opportunity to tackle it, said the World Biodiversity Council IPBES on Monday in Bonn on an expert report. A dominant focus on short-term gains and economic growth often precludes consideration of nature’s multiple values.
That’s what the environmental organizations say
Environmental groups expressed their agreement. The Nature Conservation Union (Nabu) explained that gross domestic product often increases when nature is destroyed, for example to build a road or a dam. “In the short term, we benefit from low prices for a T-shirt or a liter of milk. But in the long term we are endangering our prosperity, »said Nabu President Jörg-Andreas Krüger. This also depends on intact ecosystems.
The environmental foundation WWF emphasized: “For some, nature is only a supplier of food and water, for others it is mother earth that deserves protection”. In the future, political decisions should better reflect the diversity between ethical, economic and cultural achievements of nature. “We urgently need to move away from short-term, profit-oriented thinking that puts growth above everything else,” the WWF said.
Indigenous groups from South America welcomed the decisions. “We particularly celebrate the recommendation to recognize our territorial rights and traditional knowledge, which is essential for the effective protection of the Amazon region,” said José Gregorio Diaz Mirabal, coordinator of the Confederation of Indigenous Groups in the Amazon Basin (Coica).
The report (“Values Assessment”) was approved by a meeting with more than 900 representatives of the 139 IPBES member states on Saturday in Bonn. 82 experts from 47 countries contributed to the paper, which is based on more than 13,000 scientific references. According to a paper published by this body in 2019, up to one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. Economic growth had been cited as an important factor.
Climate regulation also has something to do with nature
According to the new report, economic and political decisions have favored certain natural values that are useful, for example, in market-oriented food production. However, this does not adequately take into account how interventions in nature affect the quality of life of people as a whole. In addition, it is overlooked that climate regulation and cultural identity also have something to do with nature.
There is no shortage of approaches to make the values of nature visible. What is missing, however, are methods of dealing with the unequal distribution of power between groups and including the different values of nature in political decisions.
Co-author Patricia Balvanera from Mexico said that in light of the global biodiversity crisis, it is important to shift decisions towards nature’s diverse values. “This also means a redefinition of “development” and “good quality of life”,” said Balvanera.
A new IPBES report on “Economy and Biodiversity” was approved in Bonn, which should be completed in 2025. A study on “Invasive Alien Species” is to be presented in the coming year.