We are currently facing two big environmental challenges — accelerated biodiversity
loss and climate change - which are already undermining human health and well-being. The main drivers of biodiversity loss and climate change are
partially the same — land use changes, overexploitation of natural resources and
environmental pollution. These two processes are also inter-related with a negative
feed-back loop. Therefore, it is crucial to tackle them together and try to find comprehensive solutions.
Leading biodiversity scholars at Finnish universities have published a position paper for safeguarding global biodiversity and human health. The scholars are calling
on the European institutions and the EU Member States to take the key messages of the position paper into account in the implementation of the EU Green Deal, Horizon Europe and Biodiversity Strategy 2030.
Key messages:
1) Science is the key to success in safeguarding biodiversity
2) Education and professional training are critical in enabling transformative change
3) Societal needs for reliable biodiversity information
4) Long-term and comprehensive funding for biodiversity research is needed
Position paper: UNIVERSITIES SAFEGUARDING GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY
AND HUMAN HEALTH: A REFLECTION ON THE EU POST-2020
BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK