The Essentials of Biodiversity and Climate Change
"The UK may be known for its green fields and lush countryside, but new data shows that it is actually one of the worst countries in the world in terms of the state of its biodiversity."
"Our planet is home to bewildering assemblages of life. Millions of different kinds of animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi coexist in remarkably interconnected ways. Together they make up the biodiversity of the Earth."
What does Biodiversity mean?
Biodiversity is the number and variety of all species on Earth
(plants, fungi, animals, and micro-organisms) and how they fit together.
Complex networks of living things underpin the health of our planet - as well as our well-being and survival - but need healthy, non-polluted environments to thrive. Areas with few species are not biodiverse and are less able to protect our environment and ourselves from the challenges of a changing climate.
The significance of biodiversity
Wide varieties of plants and animals, in their natural enviornments,
are vital for the processes that support all life on Earth - including ours
Our human health, economies and well-being absolutley depend biodiversity - it regulates nutrient and water cycles, influences climate, temperatures and oxygen levels, helps clean pollution from the environment - and lots more besides. Nature's amazing web of life provides us with the food we eat, from the micro-organisms that enrich the soil where we grow our crops and the pollinators who give us fruit and nuts, to the fish that are the main source of animal protein for around a billion people. It also provides us with many of our medicines which are derived from plants and fungi from the natural world.
Our climate is rapidly changing and we need our nature more than ever to protect us
Biodiversity loss and climate breakdown are interlinked. Not only that, they exacerbate each other. Effective climate action therefore needs to protect nature as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is recognised in the EU's new biodiversity strategy for 2030, which states that addressing the both of them also makes sound economic sense (every euro spent gives an estimated 8 to 38 euros worth of benefits).
Biodiversity now declining faster than at any time in human history
The decline in the variety of nature on Earth is deepening in all regions of the world. E.g.
- The UK only has an average of about half its biodiversity left, far below the global average of 75%, reported in a recent study.
- The UK is one of the world's most nature-depleted countries - in the bottom 10% globally, and last among the G7 group of nations.
- Globally since 1970 there has been around a 70% decline in the populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians (see The Living Planet Report 2022).
- It is thought that one million animal and plant species - almost a quarter of the global total - are threatened with extinction. This includes over half (58%) of Europe’s native trees are facing extinction.
- 75% of the Earth’s land surface has been significantly altered by human actions, including 85 percent of wetland areas (IPBES).
Reasons for the alarming decline
"We are using the equivalent of 1.6 Earths to maintain our current way of life and ecosystems cannot keep up with our demands" (Becoming Generation Restoration, UNEP). Many human actions are destroying our biodiversity: our voracious consumption of natural resources, the widespread use of harmful pesticides, and burning of fossil fuels are having a huge impact on all parts of the Earth, putting enormous pressure on wildlife.
We have 3 planetary crises: biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution
which are reinforcing each other and driving further damage to the environment and to our health
(the UN Environment Programme (UNEP))
Some good news! Some areas and localities in the UK have seen relatively stable biodiversity levels over recent years, albeit at a "really low level". Encouragingly, more and more people are making a difference - in their homes, outside spaces, and daily lives - and there are increasing numbers of projects now underway seeing real positive changes in their local nature and biodiversity.
Slowing down the crisis: what we need to be doing
Biodiversity must be given far higher prominence and urgency
In order to halt and reverse the current loses of variety in our nature, transformational change is needed at all levels - individual, local, regional and international.
Changes people can make themselves can make a massive difference
Individuals' actions can nudge politicians and make a massive difference to the overall climate change picture by cutting up to 70% of projected 2050 emissions. There are all kinds of greatly needed changes that will help, such as shifting to more plant-based diets and avoiding flights (BBC, 2023). There's an increasing public involvement in conservation activites, which is really encouraging:
Urgent actions for everyone: living sustainability
Go to our
for key actions to take that will really help nature (and us too!)
"The benefits provided by nature are indispensible for making human life possible, and worth living."
Go to
Explore Further
V I D E O S
State of Nature
great set of 40 second videos
(National Biodiversity Network)
"Restoring biodiversity for the sake of people, climate, planet"
EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030
Why is biodiversity important, with Sir David Attenborough
lovely, interesting and informative
animated short video
(from The Royal Society).
Living Planet Report 2022: We Need to Halt Biodiversity Loss
short video
(World Wildlife Fund)
W E B P A G E S
Trees and biodiversity
Why trees are important for biodiversity
(The Woodland Trust)
What is Climate Change?
An informative, simple guide
(from the BBC)
Why restoring nature is good for farmers, fisheries and food security (UN, 2023)
New rewilding and wildflower areas will improve biodiversity in Wiltshire (Wiltshire Council, 2022)
Climate Change: 'Your Planet Your Questions', video with Professor Brian Cox and expert panel What can we all do to help
(The Royal Society)
Take Action
"It's not too late to reverse biodiversity decline by 2030"
Great ways you can help wildlife at home: Simple things you can do
(The Wildlife Trust)
How to increase biodiversity in your garden - lots of advice and ideas (The Woodland Trust)
Contribute to reversing climate change: things you can do
(The Wildlife Trust)
Examples of ways to enhance habitats (Wiltshire Council)
See our Make a Difference page
(Wild Colerne)
Picks from the News
"The record-breaking UK heat experienced in 2022 will be regarded as a cool year by the end of this century, the Met Office says."
The new EU Nature Restoration Law - a comprehensive proposal to restore 20% of Europe’s degraded ecosystems by 2030
(European Commission, July 2023)
Monitoring ecosystems from space to calculate Biodiversity net gain (OAG, July 2023)
