Nature, underpinned by biologically diverse  ecosystems, is critical to human survival, health,  wellbeing, and economic prosperity. Half of global  gross domestic product, or $44 trillion, is generated in  sectors such as construction, agriculture, and energy  that highly or moderately depend on nature and its  services.¹ Two-thirds of food crops rely, at least in part,  on animal pollination.² This natural capital, along with  produced capital, human capital, and nonrenewable  natural resources, makes up countries’ wealth³ and  generates income that drives economic growth  and progress towards achieving the Sustainable  Development Goals.

Yet economic activity is causing biodiversity loss at  an unprecedented rate through land- and sea-use  change, unsustainable use of resources, pollution, and  the spread of invasive species.⁴ Since 1970, the Living  Planet Index, which measures the state of the world’s  biodiversity, has declined by nearly 70%, with 14 key  ecosystem services currently in decline.⁵ Nature loss is fundamentally interconnected with  climate change – both crises reinforce each other and  present compound and systemic risks. Climate change  is a key driver of biodiversity loss, which diminishes  INTRODUCTION ecosystems’ ability to provide climate change  mitigation and adaptation benefits. This in turn  intensifies the impacts of climate change, resulting in a  vicious cycle of escalating effects.

Restoring biodiverse ecosystems is a cost-effective  way of building resilience and ability to adapt to the  physical impacts of climate change. It also provides a  way to substantially reduce carbon emissions to meet  the goals of the Paris Agreement. Realizing these  benefits will require transitioning our economies to  sustainable production practices that help halt and  reverse biodiversity loss.

Sustainable practices must address the key drivers of  biodiversity loss and protect and enhance ecosystems. 

Strategic investment in this transition - with measures  in place to ensure it is equitable and inclusive - can  create long-term, local value. A sustainable transition  of food, land and ocean use, infrastructure and the  built environment, and energy and extractives could  create $10.1 trillion in annual business opportunities,  395 million new jobs by 2030, and significant  opportunities for income diversification, which  supports the growth of local economies.⁶