Germany has put biodiversity, alongside climate change, at the top the agenda for its G8 presidency. In this week’s Green Room, Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel says failure to address the loss of species will make the world a poorer place – both naturally and economically.
Some might ask why biodiversity should be an issue on the G8+5 agenda.
Well, there is a clear answer.
The G8 nations, together with the five major emerging economies of China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, use almost three-quarters of the Earth’s biocapacity – the capacity of the world’s ecosystems to produce natural resources and to reduce harmful substances.
The loss of global biological diversity is advancing at an unprecedented pace. Up to 150 species are becoming extinct every day.
As well as their uniqueness and beauty, their specific functions within ecosystems are also irrecoverably lost. The web of life that sustains our global society is getting weaker and weaker.
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