News in the Framework of the European Business & Biodiversity Campaign

New Agriculture Sector Guide Launched To Help Financial Institutions Assess Natural Capital Risk

A new template that enables financial institutions to conduct natural capital credit risk assessment across different agricultural sectors and geographies, taking into account factors such as water availability, use and quality; soil health; biodiversity; energy use and greenhouse gas emissions was launched 15 April.

Introducing IPBES' 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

A definitive new global synthesis of the state of nature, ecosystems and nature's contributions to people — the first such report since the landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment published in 2005, and the first ever that is inter-governmental — will be presented to representatives of 132 Governments for consideration of approval in May 2019.

Sustainability in Global Agriculture Driven by Organic Farming

Governments should only support agricultural systems that provide healthy food, minimize environmental impact and enable producers to earn a decent living. 11 international experts argue in the renowned scientific journal Nature Sustainability that organic agriculture has moved out of its niche and is now playing an important role in getting our food and agriculture systems right.

Plant diversity increases insect diversity

The more plant species live in grasslands and forests, the more insect species find a habitat there. However, the presence of more plant species does not only increase the number of insect species, but also the number of insect individuals. Simultaneously, animal diversity is not only determined by plant diversity, but also by the physical structure of the plant communities.

New Pathways for Sustainable Agriculture

Diversity beats monotony: a colourful patchwork of small, differently used plots can bring advantages to agriculture and nature. This is the result of a new study by the University of Würzburg.

The business of biodiversity: can we put a value on nature?

Nature provides people with everything from food and water to timber, textiles, medicinal resources and pollination of crops. Now, a new approach aims to measure exactly what a specific ecosystem supplies in order to incentivise decision-makers and businesses to help combat biodiversity loss.

Biodiversity and Tourism in Central America and the Caribbean

For two years now, the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Global Nature Fund have been working together with partners in Central America and the Caribbean to raise the awareness of tourism stakeholders for the protection of biodiversity.

On farmland, latecomers lose out

Wild bees in Europe are in trouble – more than 50% of local species are now classified as endangered. Recent findings by LMU researchers indicate that, in farming areas, species that emerge in late summer are most acutely threatened.

Human health in dire straits if urgent actions are not made to protect the environment

The most comprehensive and rigorous assessment on the state of the environment completed by the UN in the last five years was published on 13 March, warning that damage to the planet is so dire that people’s health will be increasingly threatened unless urgent action is taken.

United Nations General Assembly adopted Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to proclaim 2021 to 2030 the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration on 1 March.