UN report maps ways to make business and biodiversity sustainable

An IPBES report presented in Manchester lays out how governments, investors and companies could align policies and finance to address biodiversity loss; the report notes a 33-to-1 gap in 2023 between harmful economic activity (about US$7.3 trillion) and public and private conservation funding (about US$220 billion).

An intergovernmental report from IPBES links business activity to biodiversity loss and recovery and was presented after a week-long meeting in Manchester. The authors say the report is intended as a roadmap for business leaders and policy-makers to integrate nature’s value into economic decisions. The document was approved as a consensus by more than 140 member countries. The United States is reported as the lone exception after an executive order from President Donald Trump led to withdrawal from IPBES. Key points: - In 2023 public and private initiatives directed about US$220 billion to biological conservation, while about US$7.3 trillion was spent on activities that directly harmed biodiversity, a roughly 33-to-1 imbalance. - Report authors presented the document in Manchester and described it as a roadmap for aligning legal, financial, cultural, technological and educational approaches with biodiversity goals. - The report was approved by over 140 member countries of IPBES; the United States is reported as having withdrawn after an executive order. - The executive summary highlights challenges for businesses, including measuring impacts and dependencies on nature and the need for aligned policies, incentives and finance. Summary: The report frames business and financial systems as central to both the causes of and solutions for biodiversity loss, and it outlines pathways where policy and finance realignment could make protecting nature an economic choice. Experts at the meeting emphasized the urgency of integrating nature into economic decisions and the substantial role businesses can play. Undetermined at this time.