The business of biodiversity

The author, Robert Watson of IPBES, contends that the business community is ignoring the catastrophic risks posed by biodiversity loss despite the high economic value of nature's contributions. He highlights that ecosystem collapse threatens global trade and security, while noting that some companies, such as AXA and L’Oréal, are beginning to integrate biodiversity safeguards into their financial risks and supply chains. The text calls for increased collective ambition and the adoption of evidence-based policy options to reverse environmental damage.

• Biodiversity loss is not merely an environmental concern but a direct threat to global security, development, and economic prosperity, as products like cotton and coffee depend on functioning ecosystems.
• The annual economic value of nature's contributions to humanity—including pollination, water purification, and flood protection—is estimated at $125 trillion, which is approximately two-thirds more than the global GDP.
• There is a disconnect between global risk assessments and corporate priorities, as the WEF's Global Risks Report identifies environmental catastrophe as a primary risk, yet a PwC CEO survey shows environmental concerns are not among the top ten threats to corporate growth.
• Specific corporate actions to address biodiversity loss include AXA Insurance Company incorporating biodiversity loss into financial risk assessments and L’Oréal pledging to remove ingredients linked to deforestation from its products by 2020.

APA

Watson, R. (2019). The business of biodiversity. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/business-and-biodiversity/

Chicago

Watson, Robert. The business of biodiversity. World Economic Forum, 2019. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/business-and-biodiversity/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Watson |first1=Robert |title=The business of biodiversity |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=27 February 2019 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/business-and-biodiversity/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{watson2019business, author = {Watson, Robert}, title = {{The business of biodiversity}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2019}, month = feb, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/business-and-biodiversity/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }