Biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history. Since 1970, there has been on average almost a 70% decline in the populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. It is thought that one million animal and plant species – almost a quarter of the global total – are threatened with extinction. These losses in biodiversity are undermining the productivity, resilience and adaptability of nature. This is in turn putting economies, livelihoods and well-being at risk.
Economist, Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta and Nobel-prize winning biologist Sir Venki Ramakrishnan marked the publication of The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review. Commissioned by the UK Government, this independent, global Review presented a new economic framework, grounded in ecology and Earth Sciences, in order to understand the sustainability of our engagement with Nature and identified the options humanity has to enhance biodiversity and prosperity.
Hosted by Venki Ramakrishnan and joined by several special guests, Professor Dasgupta outlined the Review’s central findings and responded to questions from the audience.
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