The 2021 World Economic Forum Global Risks Report ranks biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse as one of the top five threats humanity will face in the next decade, based on its potential impact on supply chains, food and health.
Over half of the world’s total GDP is estimated to be moderately or highly dependent on nature. And declines in biodiversity threaten more than 80% of Sustainable Development Goal targets.
There is widespread and growing recognition of the value of biodiversity - its inherent value, its economic value, and its potential value in combatting climate change through Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The Oxford Martin Programme on Biodiversity and Society aims to harness this recognition, and the drive to ‘build back better’ from the COVID-19 pandemic, to support systemic change towards a more sustainable relationship between humanity and our planet, and to mobilise financial resources at scale for its protection and recovery.
Drawing expertise from across the University in ecology, finance and economics, social sciences, human wellbeing, cultural values, AI, machine learning, satellite-based monitoring, and other disciplines and by working closely with stakeholders the programme aims to address wide-ranging challenges to move towards stemming the tide of biodiversity loss, and developing opportunities for biodiversity recovery, globally.
The programme will be implemented at scales from local to global, working with collaborators in business and in government.
Visit the Biodiversity and Society websiteActivities will include:
Building a state-of-the-art biodiversity modelling platform that robustly predicts the future impact of human activities at spatial scales meaningful to decision-makers. This will enable the prediction of future biodiversity trends to identify local conservation strategies.
Developing the local landscape as a case study, nature-recovery laboratory and community of practice. This will seek to develop collaborations between the University and local stakeholders and landowners to put Oxfordshire at the forefront of creating and testing national approaches to nature monitoring and recovery.
Identifying how to build back better with nature post-pandemic. To enhance understanding of the short and long-term economic recovery potential of investments in nature and have this knowledge inform the design of economic, climate, and development policy for the Global South.
Bringing biodiversity impact into business decision-making. A standardised, robust framework for calculating biodiversity losses and gains will be developed, which could guide decision-making at the international and national policy levels, as well as directly by companies and investors.
The Government's flagship Environment Act 2021 requires that from 2023 all developments in England must generate a minimum 10% uplift in biodiversity through habitat restoration, creation or enhancement. This has the potential to be a transformative step in the protection and restoration of nature.
However, this requirement has major flaws which could undermine it. Not least that there are no credible mechanisms for monitoring or enforcing biodiversity gains, and current government guidance actively advises local authorities against taking enforcement action except in a case of ‘serious harm to a local public amenity’.
A group of researchers from across the UK specialising in biodiversity net gain is calling on the government to address these shortcomings now, so the policy truly improves England’s nature in line with national goals to halt wildlife loss.
Visiting fellow with the Oxford Martin School, Professor Sandra Díaz, is to be awarded the 2025 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for her work on understanding and addressing biodiversity loss and its impact on human societies.
Nature-based solutions involve working with and enhancing nature to address societal challenges – such as climate change - in ways that benefit local communities and biodiversity. A comprehensive review of the economic impacts of nature-based solutions, published today in PLOS Climate, concludes they can unlock prosperity by boosting local economies, increasing agricultural productivity and creating jobs.
Harnessing nature-based solutions for economic recovery: A systematic review
Nature-based Solutions and their socioeconomic benefits in Peru
Data-driven hope for the planet
Parish Nature Recovery Survey Report
Going beyond market-based mechanisms to finance nature-based solutions and foster sustainable futures
HERO Workshop #7 Report: Mapping Ongoing Nature Restoration Activities In Oxfordshire
Professor of Ecosystem Science
Professor of Biodiversity
Tasso Leventis Professor of Biodiversity
Battcock Professor of Environmental Economics
Senior Research Fellow
Consultant
Independent consultant
Consultant
Economist at the Brazilian Development Bank and visiting Professor at Universidade Federal Fluminense
Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Biodiversity Metrics and Modelling
Programme Coordinator
Visiting Fellow
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