FST JOURNAL

The impact of human activity on biodiversity loss has been a major and increasing concern globally. In February 2021, the Treasury published The Economics of Biodiversity1, an independent review led by Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta. This had a number of key messages, including: that the world needs to ensure that human demands on nature do not exceed supply; that we change our measures of economic success to guide us to a more sustainable path; and that we transform our institutions and systems, in particular finance and education systems, to enable these changes and make them sustainable. The Dasgupta Review came out in advance of the G7 summit (June 2021), the UN’s Biodiversity COP15 and the UN’s Climate Change COP26 (November 2021).

The Foundation for Science and Technology held an event on 24 May 2021, with Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, Professor Yadvinder Malhi (who led on behalf of the Royal Society in producing a statement on biodiversity from the national science academies of the G7 nations) and Dr Stephanie Wray, Managing Director of Nature Positive. A video recording, presentation slides and speaker audio from the event are available on the FST website at: www.foundation.org.uk/Events/2021/Biodiversity-Economics,-Science-and-International