Time is running out to avoid the sixth mass extinction

Time is running out to avoid the sixth mass extinction

Humans are committing suicide by proxy by treating nature like a toilet and a plaything of profit, the effects of which will be felt through job losses, hunger, disease, and death.

Yup, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told people how he really felt at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) this week, or COP15.

He also said that we are at war with nature and that humanity has become a weapon of mass extinction.

Representatives from nearly 200 countries are meeting in Montreal, Canada, to – hopefully – agree on measures to slow down and reverse the damage being done to our planet’s ecosystems and biodiversity. You know, the things directly responsible for supporting life on Earth.

Biodiversity affects everything from global health and food security to the economy and the fight to stop the climate crisis. Healthy ecosystems such as forests and coral reefs are key to controlling global warming.

Scientists say COP15 is way more important than COP27, the recently concluded climate summit.

Yet COP15 is not getting nearly as much attention as COP27.

It’s been delayed by two years.

It’s being hosted by China, which controversially doesn’t have to contribute to the loss and damage fund, despite being one of the world’s largest carbon emitters.

And the fact that China didn’t invite any world leaders to a summit where the fate of the living world will be decided is also concerning.

Ecosystems are collapsing under the pressure to meet the needs of a growing global population, with one million species already facing extinction.

Humans are destroying the life-support systems they depend on for clean air, water, and food.

Climate change, resource exploitation, pollution, and invasions of alien species have accelerated a decline in animal, plant, and microbial species.

And as ecosystems break down, the natural barriers between people and zoonotic diseases (those transmitted from animals to humans) become weaker. And we’ve all lived through a pandemic to know what that means.

Yet there’s no sense of urgency to turn things around.

Way back in 2010, world leaders agreed to 20 biodiversity conservation goals, known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

Among the targets was the “30x30 goal”, a pledge to put at least 30% of land and sea areas under conservation by 2030.

Currently, only about 17% of the world's land area and less than 8% of the ocean is protected.

Other Aichi goals were to reduce the rate of introduction of invasive species by 50%, cut pesticide use by at least two-thirds, halt the flow of plastic pollution, and make it compulsory for big businesses to disclose their impact on nature.

Countries had 10 years to meet these targets.

Guess how many were met.

None.

That’s right. Zilch. Zero. Nada.

This is why it’s critical that countries adopt a global roadmap at COP15 and agree on targets to conserve, protect, restore, and manage biodiversity and ecosystems.

Nature loss and climate change are intertwined – you can’t solve one without addressing the other.

An ideal outcome would be:

• A renewed commitment to the 30x30 goal, which would be a big step towards reducing human impact on the planet and letting ecosystems recover.

• To consult with Indigenous People, who play a primary role in protecting and conserving ecosystems through Indigenous laws and knowledge. Indigenous People oversee land that is home to about 80% of Earth’s remaining biodiversity, yet they have been traditionally left out from these conversations, and their rights and sovereignty have been mostly ignored. The best way to protect ecosystems is to protect the rights of the people who live in and depend on them.

As we stare down the barrel of the sixth mass extinction, we can only hope that common sense will prevail before the summit ends on 19 December.

As Eva Zabey, executive director of Business for Nature, says: "We cannot afford to squander what could be a historic moment.”

Or, as Antonio Guterres puts it: We need to “stop the orgy of destruction”.

— Tarryn ✌️

This week's climate and sustainability news worth noting

🤦🏻‍♀️ The UK has approved the first new coal mine in 30 years. Despite the fact that the mine would, erm, undermine climate targets, the UK has defended it, saying 85% of the coal produced at the mine would be exported, which is good for the economy. Once again, greed trumps common sense. (BBC)

🌳 European Union lawmakers have agreed to a ground-breaking new regulation that will block products linked to deforestation from being sold on the EU market.  The law will require companies to show that their products – such as coffee, chocolate, or palm oil – are not linked to deforestation, by pinpointing where they come from and trace them back to where they were produced. (ClientEarth)

💨 The European Union announced plans to certify removals of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Removals include carbon held in soils and forests, or CO2 sucked out of the air by technologies and stored underground or in construction materials. Although it's a step in the right direction, it's not yet clear how these removals will count towards EU climate change targets. (Reuters)

🇧🇷 Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wants to create a new Federal Police unit focused on environmental crimes. It appears he is following through on his promise at COP27 last month to restore the Amazon rainforest and chase down climate criminals. Lula has also pledged to end illegal deforestation in the Amazon. (Reuters)

The business of ESG and sustainability

🌡 The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer special report on Trust and Climate Change highlights the crux of the climate problem: People want to live a more climate-friendly lifestyle but cost and a lack of information prevent them from making the necessary changes. Ironically, although people trust governments more than they trust businesses to do right by the climate, businesses that educate people about how to reduce their climate impact are more likely to be trusted to do the right thing. The bottom line? People are desperate for trustworthy information about climate change, and the businesses that step up to the plate can gain a competitive edge.

✅ I researched and summarised all the new reporting standards and frameworks announced at COP27. If you work in accounting, finance, or compliance, you might find it useful. Read more.

Well, that's interesting

🌋 Did you know that volcanic eruptions can reduce global temperatures by a degree or two for a few months? That's because major explosions shoot sulfuric acid into the atmosphere, which forms aerosol particles that reflect sunlight away from the Earth's surface. This has a cooling effect that could last up to a year – if it's a really big eruption. But scientists aren't in a hurry to geoengineer volcano explosions because it could create acid rain. (Phys.org)

☹️ Research published in the journal NeuroToxicology has found that people who breathe polluted air experience changes within the brain regions that control emotions, and as a result, they may be more likely to develop anxiety and depression than those who breathe cleaner air. Just a small rise in nitrogen dioxide (found mainly in diesel fumes) saw 18% more people admitted to psychiatric hospitals in London, while 32% more were treated as out-patients. (World Economic Forum)

What I've been working on this week

🧐 Research from Sage has found that while 76% of SMEs in South Africa believe that sustainability is important, many face challenges in understanding and reducing their climate impact. These include:

• Not having enough cash to make the necessary investments

• Not knowing how to track their impact

• Government policies that restrict their ability to innovate

• Difficulties finding the right solution to understand and improve their impact

• Inflation and rising energy bills

The research also identified ways that the government and big businesses can help SME. Read more here.

I'll leave you on this happy note...

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