The United Nations proclaimed 22 May the International Day for Biological Diversity to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
Biodiversity Day 2021 is being celebrated under the slogan: "We're part of the solution #ForNature".
The slogan was chosen to be a continuation of the momentum that was generated in 2020 under the theme “Our solutions are in nature”, which served as a reminder that biodiversity is the answer to several sustainable development challenges. From nature-based solutions to climate, health issues, food, water security, and sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity is the foundation upon which we can build back better.
Biodiversity loss is a global phenomenon. Driven by habitat degradation, climate change, the introduction of invasive species and other anthropogenically induced factors, around one million of the eight million plant and animal species on earth are threatened with extinction. Increasingly, biodiversity loss is being recognised as a systemic risk with far-reaching consequences, including financial risks for businesses worldwide.
The World Economic Forum estimates that more than half the world's Gross Domestic Product is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services, and therefore exposed to risks such as deforestation. In 2020, the consequences of biodiversity loss became all too familiar, with the COVID-19 pandemic, illustrating how an invisible shift in nature can manifest as a global socioeconomic crisis.
Businesses, particularly in the soft-commodity supply chain, could have a key role in stopping the destruction of nature and preventing future disasters, including pandemics. Though some corporations are addressing the financial risks of biodiversity loss, many more remain unaware, partly because of a historic focus on climate change. It is also because of the sheer complexity of biodiversity as an issue, as well as the current absence of direct and material financial metrics that allow companies to assess and make ecosystems a focal point of their social responsibility strategies.
As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, International Day for Biological Diversity 2021 will once again be celebrated virtually.
International Day for Biological Diversity Poster 2021 (849 KB)
