Biodiversity’s Role in the Green Economy

A green economy can be understood as one which makes equitable use of ecological and environmental goods, while simultaneously generating environmental benefits and enhancing human socio-economic welfare, underpinned by the recognition that biodiversity is integral to human life and natural ecosystems (Willis and Kirby 2015).

In applying the label of a green economy, caution should be exercised to avoid greenwashing any economic scheme which pays lip service to sustainability and environmental goals, and to ensure that the design and execution of a green economy fully considers the interests of and impacts on all affected human and natural stakeholders, from the local to national levels and at various temporal scales.

Generally, the relationship between biological diversity and the state of an economy may vary in different contexts - biodiversity may suffer when certain goods and services are supplied more widely, or in other cases, biodiversity may profit from economic activities which protect and enhance natural habitats (Willis and Kirby 2015).

Consequently, therefore, within a green economy, richer biodiversity may be better able to continue to offer key ecosystem services by preserving ecological and environmental assets. On the other hand, a green economy which utilizes those assets in a sustainable and prudent manner may contribute to the ongoing conservation of biodiversity.

Biodiversity is essential in the reduction of environmental risks. The negative impacts of anthropogenic climate change - arguably the greatest environmental risk to humans in recent history - are substantially mitigated by the role played by trees and forests as carbon sinks (Willis and Kirby 2015). In terms of carbon removal, while such carbon sinks pose fewer risks relative to man-made technologies and geoengineering techniques, indeed, any afforestation or reforestation program is not without potential socio-economic challenges for local and Indigenous communities.

The scientific consensus appears to be that some amount of biodiversity is necessary in order to enable the functions which maintain and advance human life and wellbeing (Willis and Kirby 2015).

From the perspective of a green economy, the most fundamental elements of biodiversity are those which promote sustainability, translating broadly to the ability to withstand and recover from external threats and challenges ('ecological resilience' and 'engineering resilience') (Willis and Kirby 2015). Such resilience could be built by, for instance, reducing over-reliance on any one sustenance crop, and understanding the biological and financial consequences of any associated agricultural diversification (Willis and Kirby 2015).

References:-

• Willis, K.J. and K. Kirby. (2015). ‘Biodiversity in the green economy: what biodiversity do we need?’ in Gasparatos A. and K.J. Willis (eds) Biodiversity in the green economy. (London: Routledge 2015).