THE COMMODITY ISSUE
on how to improve in the future, highlighting
that it’s not too late to turn things around.
However, steering the world away from
ecological crisis will require ‘transformative
change’: in other words, a fundamental, system-
wide reorganisation across technological,
economic and social sectors. Just one example
is the urgent need to reform agricultural
subsidies, which often make little sense either
environmentally or economically. For instance,
finance that promotes deforestation outpaces
funds for forest protection by 40:1. The world
also needs to integrate conservation into all
stages of planning, and to understand business
does not have to occur at the expense of
biodiversity: it just needs to be done differently.
We at BirdLife have already been developing
innovative solutions to these issues. In
Indonesia, we have been working with Burung
Indonesia (BirdLife Partner) to develop the
Ecosystem Restoration Concession concept.
This system, which restores logged or degraded
forest to offset climate change and protect
nature, has now been taken up nationally.
Elsewhere, our Asia-Pacific Forest Governance
project is empowering local people in Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea
to manage and protect their own forests, which
in turn sequesters carbon emissions. We’re also
involved in wildlife-friendly farming initiatives
like Ibis Rice [see page 36] and Fossa Chocolate
[see page 26], which prove it’s possible to make
a good living without damaging surrounding
habitats.
JUL-SEP 2019 • BIRDLIFE
16-year-old Greta
Thunberg has spearheaded
a global movement
Photo Anders Hellberg
0
Training local people
as part of our Asia-Pacific
Forest Governance
Programme
Photo Jean Thomas
7
Sir David Attenborough
opening the David
Attenborough building, the
site of BirdLife's UK office.
Behind him, a 'living wall'
featuring plants from all
across the globe
Photo Cambridge
Conservation Initiative
3
BUSINESS
DOES NOT HAVE
TO OCCUR AT
THE EXPENSE OF
BIODIVERSITY – IT
JUST NEEDS TO
BE DONE
DIFFERENTLY
Next year, 2020, will be a critical year for both
nature and climate. In the UK, national climate
action plans will be updated to reflect the latest
findings. Globally, Sustainable Development
Goals will also be revamped. In China, a new
global framework for biodiversity will be drawn
up following the 2020 deadline of the Aichi
Targets.
As of next year, the frameworks we create to
protect nature must be transformational in
mobilising a move away from ‘business as usual’.
Initiatives to protect biodiversity need to work
hand in hand with related priorities such as
climate change and sustainable development.
We need to recognise that healthy economies
and societies are underpinned by healthy natural
systems. There is still time to act, but not much.
Urgent, strong and sustained action, both in
political and social spheres, is essential.
The evidence is clear: we cannot continue to
degrade nature without leaving the world in a
dangerous state for future generations. If we
want to overthrow business as usual, we need to
get down to business.
15