Biodiversity policy beyond economic growth
Otero, Iago 1981- (University of Lausanne. Interdisciplinary Centre for Mountain Research (Switzerland))
Farrell, Katharine N. 1969- (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
Pueyo, Salvador (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals)
Kallis, Giorgos (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Kehoe, Laura (University of Oxford. Oxford Martin School (UK))
Haberl, Helmut (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences. Institute of Social Ecology (Austria))
Plutzar, Christoph (University of Vienna. Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research (Austria))
Hobson, Peter (Writtle University College. Centre for Econics & Ecosystem Management (UK))
García-Márquez, Jaime (Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (Germany))
Rodríguez-Labajos, Beatriz (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Martin, Jean-Louis (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Université de Montpellier-Université Paul Valéry Montpellier. Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (France))
Erb, Karl-Heinz (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences. Institute of Social Ecology (Austria))
Schindler, Stefan (Czech University of Life Sciences. Community Ecology and Conservation research group (Czech Republic))
Nielsen, Jonas (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Department of Geography)
Skorin, Teuta (Freelance biodiversity conservationist (Croatia))
Settele, Josef (University of the Philippines Los Baños. Institute of Biological Sciences (Philippines))
Essl, Franz (University of Vienna. Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research (Austria))
Gómez-Baggethun, Erik (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research)
Brotons, Lluís (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Rabitsch, Wolfgang (Environment Agency Austria)
Schneider, François (Research & Degrowth France)
Pe'er, Guy (University of Leipzig (Germany))

Date:	2020
Abstract:	Increasing evidence -synthesized in this paper- shows that economic growth contributes to biodiversity loss via greater resource consumption and higher emissions. Nonetheless, a review of international biodiversity and sustainability policies shows that the majority advocate economic growth. Since improvements in resource use efficiency have so far not allowed for absolute global reductions in resource use and pollution, we question the support for economic growth in these policies, where inadequate attention is paid to the question of how growth can be decoupled from biodiversity loss. Drawing on the literature about alternatives to economic growth, we explore this contradiction and suggest ways forward to halt global biodiversity decline. These include policy proposals to move beyond the growth paradigm while enhancing overall prosperity, which can be implemented by combining top-down and bottom-up governance across scales. Finally, we call the attention of researchers and policy makers to two immediate steps: acknowledge the conflict between economic growth and biodiversity conservation in future policies; and explore socioeconomic trajectories beyond economic growth in the next generation of biodiversity scenarios.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad MDM-2015-0552 European Commission 283093 European Commission 741950 European Commission 797444 European Commission 765408 European Commission 308454
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Biodiversity conservation ; Biodiversity loss ; Biodiversity policy ; Biodiversity scenarios ; Decoupling ; Degrowth ; Economic growth ; Postgrowth ; Sustainability policy ; Transition
Published in:	Conservation letters, Vol. 13, Issue 4 (July-August 2020) , art. e12713, ISSN 1755-263X

DOI: 10.1111/conl.12713
PMID: 32999687

18 p, 613.5 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles