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Humanity Must Take This Chance to Find a New ‘Normal’ – And Safeguard Our Planet

May 25, 2020 |

This article was originally published on The Guardian.


“A sound future can be built on a social contract for nature that will lead to a new normal that puts us in harmony with the environment, one that minimises the outbreak of zoonotic epidemics, revives a profitable economy and ensures that ecosystem services are available for everyone.

…This vision of protecting the long-term health of our natural world is vital.

Nature provides “ecosystem services” that are essential for life. Food. Water. Pollination. The very air we breathe. Ecosystem services are worth at least $125tn (£102tn) per year. This is about 1.5 times the gross domestic product of all countries, according to the WWF and Axa Report Into the Wild: integrating nature into investment strategies.

Investing in land-based ecosystem services, for instance, could save up to $50bn, according to the report. The associated cost of doing nothing could be equal to 7% of global GDP by 2050.

In the new normal, climate risks and opportunities need to be incorporated into the financial system as well as all aspects of public policymaking and infrastructure.

Whatever choices we make now to help the economy recover will lock in future economic growth and development paths. Building back better, stronger and smarter means embarking on a journey where we create the conditions for nature to take care of us; a new social contract for nature.”

Read on at: The Guardian

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