Our Science

A Long Term Strategy for People and the Planet

The Earth is at a tipping point. Here are 3 actions global leaders must take now.

Aerial view of timber cutting in Brazil showing clear cut land next to a forest.
Aerial view of timber cutting Near Cachoeira Reservoir, Brazil. © Scott Warren

Our planet faces the interconnected crises of rapid climate change and biodiversity loss. We have years, not decades, to address these existential threats.

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In 2023, a new word was born to describe interacting current and future risks with potentially catastrophic consequences: polycrisis.

Another word is about to enter our collective dictionaries: permacrisis. Will this be our fate, or will 2024 be a time for resolution, resilience and recovery? This is a pivotal moment for global leaders attending the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, where they will develop a long-term strategy to prepare for and respond to these risks.

What we do between now and 2030 will determine whether we slow warming to 1.5° Celsius while also conserving enough land and water to fix biodiversity loss. The good news is there is much that global leaders can do now to keep the polycrisis from becoming a permacrisis.

Two people walk on a trail in the direction of steep mountains with a forest at the base.
Between now and 2030 What we do between now and 2030 will determine whether we slow warming to 1.5° Celsius while also slowing species loss. The good news is there is much that global leaders can do now. © Matt Champlin

3 Things We Must Do To Save The Planet

Solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss won't come from any one sector: they'll come from governments, finance, business and civil society. We can achieve a nature-positive world by 2050 while providing affordable, secure and inclusive access to energy, food and water.

Here are three ways we need to up-end “business as usual” and act boldly to advance conservation.

1. Produce more food on less land.

Regenerative Agriculture Explained (2:53) How can regenerative food systems heal the planet and feed the world? We can produce food that doesn’t just avoid harm, but actively restores nature and reverses previous damage. Regenerative food systems can ensure we’re able to feed many generations to come. Here’s what this looks like.

Problem:

Today’s version of large-scale agriculture is the biggest source of land conversion, drives deforestation that worsens climate change, uses 70% of the world’s freshwater supply and relies on fertilizer practices that pollute our waters. As the need to feed a billion more people increases, agricultural expansion could devastate habitats, release even more carbon into the atmosphere, and dry up rivers.

Transitioning to Regenerative Food Systems

Our global food system can help us achieve our climate and biodiversity goals.

The Foodscapes Solution

How to fix it:

Produce food where it’s most likely to thrive, which will use less water and less land.

How we’re taking action right now:

We’re analyzing satellite images and local yield potential to pinpoint where soy farming and cattle ranching can expand without destroying nature. This approach is especially vital in Brazil’s Cerrado region, where half of all natural habitat has already been converted to cropland and pasture. Cooperating with farmers on sustainable practices can help save what’s left of the Cerrado’s rich savanna.

2. Increase clean energy.

Building Renewable Energy in Europe (4:53) How do we turn an area the size of Latvia into wind and solar installations without harming nature or local communities? Through smart siting. Learn how we're working with policymakers and business and community leaders on the clean energy transition.

Problem:

Climate change is the single most serious threat facing our planet today. We must reduce carbon emissions to, or below, levels agreed to in the Paris Climate Agreement to prevent catastrophic harm. And with global energy demand expected to increase 56% over the next couple decades, it will be impossible to meet those emissions targets if we stick primarily with traditional fossil fuels.

Benefits of Solar Energy on Former Mine Sites

An affordable path to repurposing former mines into clean energy hubs.

Mining the Sun

How to fix it:

Shift 85% of the world’s energy supply to non-fossil fuel sources and invest in strategies like reforestation that capture carbon dioxide.

How we’re taking action right now:

We’re championing regulations that allow former mining lands to be repurposed for solar and wind energy. Tens of thousands of acres of degraded mine sites in Nevada’s Great Basin are now available for renewable energy development. By targeting already-disturbed land, new turbines and solar panels won’t need to destroy more natural habitat.

Aerial view of a winding river lined with green bushes and surrounded by rocky areas.
The Blue Heart of Europe The Krupa river cuts a serpentine path through Dalmatia, a region along the southern tip of Croatia. © Ciril Jazbec

3. Get $700 billion to finance nature.

Natural Climate Solutions Explained (3:01) In this video, it's the future, and we look back on how we saved the world with nature. In the 2020s, we learned that nature could pull 11 billion metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere. This was a full third of the emission reductions we needed! So how did nature do all this?

Problem:

Our economies depend on healthy, supportive natural systems. In fact, around half of the gross world product is dependent on nature. Globally, we're already spending up to $143 billion USD each year on activities that benefit nature, but we need more. A lot more. We need to spend at least $722 billion (and as much as $967 billion) USD every year, putting the nature finance gap at $579-824 billion USD.

A Finance Plan for the Planet

Here's how we get $700 billion each year to reverse the biodiversity crisis.

How to close the funding gap

How to fix it:

We need to close the funding gap—and spend at least $700 billion USD on nature every year—to reverse the decline in biodiversity by 2030. Fortunately, this number is only 1% of annual gross global product, or about what the world spends on soft drinks.

How we’re taking action right now:

Through our Nature Bonds program, we’re taking a holistic approach to leverage debt refinancing for effective, durable conservation and climate action. We work with governments to help them refinance debt and generate new funding to invest in conservation, and in climate mitigation and adaptation measures. Like in Barbados, where we worked with the government, partners from the financial and conservation sectors, and local communities to develop a set of commitments for durable conservation that is tailored to meet the country’s specific needs.