A major scientific assessment released this week by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has delivered a sobering reality check to the global private sector: biodiversity loss is no longer just an environmental issue—it is a critical threat to financial stability.
The report, compiled by 79 experts from 35 countries, reveals a “twisted reality” where current economic systems make it more profitable to degrade nature than to protect it. While global GDP has ballooned from $1.18 trillion in 1820 to over $130 trillion today, this growth has come at the expense of the natural foundations that support it. With 14 out of 18 categories of nature’s contributions to people now in decline, the report warns that businesses are effectively “liquidating” the assets they depend on for long-term survival. Currently, less than 1% of companies disclose their biodiversity impacts, despite over $7 trillion in global finance flows having a direct negative impact on nature. The assessment provides a roadmap of 100+ concrete actions for governments and corporations to align profitability with ecological health before the “business as usual” model leads to a total system collapse.
🔗 Source: https://www.ipbes.net/node/97532
