From food and water scarcity to the declining air quality, the evidence has never been clearer — our home needs saving. Daily, new evidence of our unsustainable impact on the ecosystem is being revealed.
Extreme weather occurs more frequently and can be more lethal in a destabilised environment. The last nine years have been the warmest in any decade on record, as the Arctic warmed much faster than had been predicted.
In just over 40 years, the world has seen a 60% decline in wildlife populations across land, sea, and freshwater, with a shocking two-thirds drop recorded as of 2020. This occurred in less than two generations.
Deforestation is putting pressure on forests like never before. Additional deforestation of 170 million hectares — the size of Mongolia — will occur by 2030, driven by large- and small-scale livestock farming, as well as soy and palm oil production.
Our oceans are under severe strain. We pollute the sea by dumping plastic and toxic chemicals into it. We catch fish in an unsustainable and wasteful manner, with 90% of the world’s fish stocks overfished.
In the last 30 years, we have lost half of the world’s coral reefs. Within a generation, nearly 50% of the world’s sea life species have been lost. The green sea turtle, Hector’s dolphins, the finless porpoise found in the Indo-Pacific ocean and several others are some of the species that are endangered and face extinction if nothing is done.
The UN estimates that, in the last 15 years, climate-related disasters have caused $1.4 trillion of damage worldwide.
Our home needs saving.
Saving our home
Technology will undoubtedly change our lives, and we are already seeing conservation breakthroughs. The renewable energy revolution is probably the most impressive example of new technology’s positive impact.
Also, remote sensing technologies now enable unprecedented monitoring of the state of the planet. Blockchain is now being used to create certification and traceability systems for agricultural commodities and livestock so that consumers can be confident in their origin, legality, and sustainability.
Financial institutions can play a significant role. The banking sector as a whole should redirect financial flows away from environmentally and socially destructive business practices, and, more importantly, also capitalise on growth opportunities required to finance the transition to a sustainable economy, whether they are renewable energy or sustainable water projects.
Should we continue to produce, consume, and power our lives as we do now; forests, oceans, and weather systems will become overburdened and collapse.
Unsustainable agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure, mining, and energy projects will continue to cause unexpected biodiversity loss and habitat degradation, as well as overexploitation, pollution, and climate change.
As these adverse effects become more visible in the natural world, the real consequences for businesses and people also become apparent.
Our home needs saving.
