Climate and Biodiversity in Freefall

The report details how climate change drives biodiversity loss through mechanisms like ocean acidification and species range shifts, while biodiversity loss weakens the planet's carbon sinks. It critically assesses 'false solutions'—including monoculture tree plantations, carbon offsetting, and geoengineering—arguing that these policies often cause further ecological damage and land grabbing. The document calls for a systemic shift toward agroecology, energy sufficiency, and the protection of Indigenous Peoples' land rights to address the polycrisis holistically.

• Climate change is causing a sixth mass extinction, with animal wildlife populations decreasing by 69% globally between 1970 and 2018, and 30% of mammals currently facing extinction risk.
• Ocean acidification, with acidity levels now 30% higher than preindustrial levels, severely damages the skeletal structures of coral reefs, molluscs, and plankton, threatening the quarter of marine life dependent on reefs.
• The earth's living biomass has decreased by approximately half since the start of human civilization, and current planetary biomass is now less than the total amount of carbon emissions released from fossil fuels since 1850.
• Monoculture tree plantations are promoted as climate solutions but are often 'green deserts' that are more prone to fire and disease; 90% of reforestation projects worldwide use seedlings with low biodiversity values.
• There is a significant 'land gap' in climate policy: government offsetting plans would require approximately 1.2 billion hectares of land, which is unavailable without competing with agricultural land and violating the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• Carbon offsetting projects are frequently ineffective; one study indicated that 78% of the top 50 carbon offsetting projects are likely worthless or ineffective.
• Bioenergy is not carbon neutral and can be more polluting than fossil fuels; the burning of wood can release more greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy than gas, oil, or coal.
• Mega hydropower dams contribute significantly to climate change, emitting approximately 1 billion tonnes of CO2eq annually, primarily as methane, while disrupting river ecosystems and causing forced resettlements.
• The energy transition's reliance on minerals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt risks severe environmental damage and human rights abuses; for example, EU energy goals could expose 89,000 African miners to modern slavery.
• Geoengineering techniques, such as solar radiation management and ocean fertilisation, pose catastrophic risks to biodiversity by potentially altering photosynthesis and deep-sea nutrient cycles.

APA

Marien, N. (2025). Climate and Biodiversity in Freefall. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/EN_Climate-and-Biodiversity-in-Freefall_Friends-of-the-Earth.pdf

Chicago

Marien, Nele. Climate and Biodiversity in Freefall. Friends of the Earth International, 2025. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/EN_Climate-and-Biodiversity-in-Freefall_Friends-of-the-Earth.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Marien |first1=Nele |title=Climate and Biodiversity in Freefall |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=April 2025 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/EN_Climate-and-Biodiversity-in-Freefall_Friends-of-the-Earth.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{marien2025climate, author = {Marien, Nele}, title = {{Climate and Biodiversity in Freefall}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/EN_Climate-and-Biodiversity-in-Freefall_Friends-of-the-Earth.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }