Chapter 2 - Drivers, EU Taxonomy and EU Green Deal
In May 2019, IPBES presented the first comprehensive report on the state of the world´s biodiversity and ecosystem services and identified five major drivers.
More species than ever before in human history are threatened with extinction and many ecosystems are changing rapidly. Estimates show that around half a million to one million of today's more than eight million species are at risk of extinction within a few decades unless strong action is taken to halt the negative trend.
The report identifies the following five major drivers of loss:
habitat destruction
exploitation of species through fishing, agriculture and forestry
climate change
invasive species
pollution.
The report presents different scenarios for the future. In only one future scenario can biodiversity and ecosystem services be preserved, through the restoration and sustainable use of ecosystems. This scenario describes a profound societal transition.
The proposed actions mentioned in the report are to:
fully implement existing global and regional environment-related agreements and directives, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and EU directives such as the Habitats, Water and Marine Directives.
remove environmentally harmful subsidies
increase financial incentives for behaviors that have a positive impact on ecosystems.
-
https://www.unep.org/facts-about-nature-crisis