Protecting the world’s natural resources - COP16

Description

Press release relating to Prof Christie's attendance at COP16, where the recommendations from the IPBES Values Assessment was incorporated into the Convention on Biological Diversity. 

Protecting the world’s natural resources

 

 

“Helping governments and policymakers to make better, more sustainable decisions that protect both nature and the people of this planet”

 

 

 

Nature is all around us but at a time when habitats are disappearing and up to a million species face extinction, do we always appreciate the full range of benefits we as humans gain from the natural world? And are too many decisions about our planet’s natural resources made for short-term profit and economic growth reasons? These questions lie at the heart of Michael Christie’s research as Professor of Environmental and Ecological Economics at Aberystwyth University.

 

In October 2024, Professor Christie is one of the international experts invited to attend COP16 - the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Colombia. The gathering brings together governments, indigenous leaders, industry representatives and civil society to discuss the unprecedented environmental crisis we face and to make decisions which will shape the future of our planet.

 

Attended by representatives from more than 190 countries, the event will discuss formally embedding the recommendations of the landmark Assessment Report on the Values and Valuation of Nature, commissioned by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and co-chaired by Professor Christie.

 

The report brought together the expert assessments of 82 scientists from 47 countries who looked at how nature is valued in political and economic decisions. A key finding was that such decisions tend to put a greater weight on nature’s input into commercial activities, whereas more sustainable outcomes could be achieved if the wider benefits of nature are considered. The report’s recommendations have already been approved by the IPBES’s 139 member states, providing policymakers with a robust evidence base as well as concrete tools and methods to guide their response to the ecological crisis.

 

Making a difference  

 The report brought together the expert assessments of 82 scientists from 47 countries who looked at how nature is valued in political and economic decisions. A key finding was that such decisions tend to put a greater weight on nature’s input into commercial activities, whereas more sustainable outcomes could be achieved if the wider benefits of nature are considered. The reports recommendations have already been approved by the IPBES’s 139 member states, providing policymakers with a robust evidence base as well as concrete tools and methods to guide their response to the ecological crisis.

    “When we talk about the values of biodiversity and nature what we mean are the benefits we as humans derive from the natural world. For example, we get timber from trees to build or heat our homes, fresh water to drink, fish to eat from rivers, lakes and seas. Nature also supports our cultural identities and our physical welfare and well-being in many ways. But when it comes to making decisions which affect these natural resources, governments, businesses and consumers often base their decisions on a narrow set of market values, short-term profits and economic growth. Decisions like these contribute to the global biodiversity and climate crises we face today.   “In my research, I work with colleagues to examine how we can balance the demands of production, consumption and economic development with the need to protect fragile ecological systems. Our aim is to draw attention to the whole range of benefits we derive from nature - not only the economic but also the cultural, spiritual and well-being benefits. The recommendations we make can help governments and policymakers make better, more sustainable decisions that protect both nature and the people of this planet.”    Collaboration and Engagement  

Professor Christie regularly works in collaboration with a global network of academics. He shares his expertise and knowledge through papers and publications as well as being invited to speak at major international conferences and gatherings such as the COP16 Convention on Biological Diversity. 

 

As well as co-chairing the Values Assessment report in 2022, Professor Christie was a lead author on the IPBES’s Europe and Central Asia assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services in 2018. The study identified a range of governance options, policies and management practices which could be used to reduce the loss of biodiversity and safeguard nature’s contributions to people in that region. In recognition of his work, Professor Christie was awarded Aberystwyth University’s Award for Exceptional Research Impact in 2023.

 

Embed Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCpSYfe0GZE&t=3s

 

Find out more

 

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• Professor Christie’s research profile
• Professor Christie’s staff profile
• 2023 Article in Nature in 2023: New study calls for a step change in how decision-makers value nature
• 2022 press release: Value of natural world overlooked for short-term economic growth
• 2018 press release: Aberystwyth academic appointed to global diversity study

 

Get in touch

 

As a University, we’re always keen to share our knowledge and expertise more widely for the benefit of society. If you’d like to find out more or explore how you can collaborate with our researchers, get in touch with our dedicated team of staff in the Department of Research, Business and Innovation. We’d love to hear from you. Just drop an e-mail to .

 

 

Suggested text for LinkedIn linking to above web page:

 

Professor @MikeChristie @Aberystwyth Business School is among the experts invited to attend the United Nations #COP16 Convention on Biological Diversity in Colombia this week.

 

Representatives from more than 190 countries will be at the gathering and discussions will include formally embedding the recommendations of t#IPBES #ValuesAssessment report co-chaired by Professor Christie.

 

The report says political and economic decisions based on a narrow set of market values of nature underpin the global diversity crisis and governments need to take all of nature’s diverse values into account to secure a sustainable future for people and nature.

 

Read more about Professor Christie’s research: Link to Mike Christie’s new research impact page on RBI website

 

 

 

 

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