Overview
The earth’s biodiversity is threatened by unprecedented pressures stemming from human activities due to overexploitation, pollution and climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES, 2019), land degradation has reduced productivity in 23 per cent of the global terrestrial area. Moreover, loss of coastal habitats and coral reefs has reduced coastal protection, which increases the risk from floods and hurricanes to life and property for the 100 million to 300 million people living within coastal 100-year flood zones. An average of around 25 per cent of species in assessed animal and plant groups are threatened, suggesting that around 1 million species already face extinction, many within decades, unless action is taken to reduce the intensity of drivers of biodiversity loss. Ecosystem losses have negative effects on food security, water supply, livelihoods, and output of many economic sectors. The World Economic Forum (2020) estimates that $44 trillion of global value added, corresponding to over half of the world’s GDP, is generated in industries like construction, agriculture, and tourism that depend moderately to highly on nature and its services, particularly in certain developing economies. Given the financial materiality of biodiversity loss, it is important to channel various sources of financing towards addressing the challenges involved. This self-guided course uncovers how finance can drive achievement of ambitious targets set forth in SDG 14 and SDG 15 with important implications for achieving SDG 2.
Course Content
About Instructor
+38 enrolled Course Includes
- 4 Lessons
- 1 Quiz
