Our world is facing two of the biggest crises in its history; biodiversity loss and climate change are worsening at extraordinary speeds and our collective failure to act is having disastrous consequences.
There is a growing recognition and understanding of the interconnectedness of the biodiversity loss and climate change crises, but we are yet to see united strategies on a global scale to address them. Habitat destruction diminishes nature’s ability to effectively store carbon and reduces species’ ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions; this then increases their risk of extinction and further exacerbates the breakdown of ecosystems.
However, we know that when given the chance, nature can recover. To drive this recovery, here at global conservation charity ZSL, we are working tirelessly to ensure biodiversity is embedded in global decisions being taken on climate change at major events this year, such as at COP26. While calling on Governments to tackle these twin crises together, ZSL continues to deliver our work in the field to protect wildlife and ecosystem health, underpinned by our world leading science.
While there is scientific consensus that humanity is facing a climate crisis,
biodiversity is also declining across the world at unprecedented rates. ZSL’s 2020 Living Planet Index - a measure of the world’s biological diversity based on population trends of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish - recorded a decline of 68% in average species population abundance since 1970. This is unacceptable, and at ZSL we are committed to reversing these declines in conjunction with conservation strategies to support ecosystem health.
Our responsibility to protect vital ecosystems and species is not just ethical; this drastic fall in biodiversity levels erodes the foundations of economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide. Investment in the future of our planet is essential to reversing these declines and supporting the health of wildlife and of people.
At ZSL, a key area of our work to protect biodiversity is the employment of Nature-based Solutions – an approach to protecting wildlife, which mitigates the devastating impacts of climate change. These solutions, which include habitat protection and restoration, are low-cost yet high-impact, and provide multiple benefits to people and wildlife.
Corals can be described as the canaries in the coalmines, and the urgent need for joined up, global decision is clearly illustrated by the world’s reefs. Coral bleaching, caused by rising ocean temperatures, is an all-too-visible marker of stress or death.
Coral polyps - tiny animals - are the architects of some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. The reefs they build provide vital habitat, feeding, spawning and nursery grounds for more than a million aquatic species, while around 450 million people rely on them for food, coastal protection and their livelihoods.
ZSL’s scientists have long been leading coral research with the aim of better understanding how we protect these complex and vital ecosystems. In 2010, we helped ensure that British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), centred on the Chagos Archipelago and home to the world’s largest living coral atoll, was designated as a marine reserve. Situated 1,500km from the southern tip of India, this remote and protected place remains largely undisturbed by human activity, making it a crucial research site for understanding how healthy reefs function.
Here in the UK, we are engaging young people through our two zoos, London and Whipsnade. The next generation will most keenly feel the impacts of climate change in the future, while also potentially seeing the loss of some of the planet’s most recognised species if we do not act. ZSL is committed to inspiring and educating these conservation leaders of the future to get involved, by connecting them with wildlife in our zoos, and supporting teachers with resources on climate change.
Together, we have an opportunity now to change the future of our planet. ZSL’s pioneering work around the world shows that nature can return and thrive given the right combination of help. Our vision for the future, a world where wildlife thrives, is underpinned by the Sustainable Development Goals and is led by the power
and insight of our world leading science, boots on the ground field conservation and practical experience of caring for endangered animals in our zoos. Vitally, our conservation interventions are low-cost and high impact.
We each have the power to secure change, but we need your help. Each small act can make a difference, from using a re-usable cup, to making a commitment to the health of our planet by donating to our work, to connecting your business with ZSL to drive our vision for the future together. At this critical moment in time for our planet, I invite each of you to make a transformative change for the future of our shared planet.
