Rich nations should pay for biodiversity loss, which disproportionately affects poor countries, say scientists
Wealthy countries should pay for the loss and damage they cause to nature in poorer countries in the same way as for climate impacts, researchers have argued.
At the Cop27 climate talks in November, world leaders agreed to a dedicated “loss and damage” fund providing financial assistance to poor nations stricken by climate disaster. More developed countries, which are largely responsible for driving climate breakdown, are to pay compensation to poorer nations, which are typically more vulnerable to its impacts.
Now researchers are arguing a similar fund should be created for nature loss. This is because habitat loss and overexploitation of resources in poor countries is driven by consumption in the global north, researchers argue inpublished in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The trade agreements between the two are based on historical injustices and power imbalances.
Researchers state: “Global biodiversity loss has been disproportionately driven by consumption of people in rich nations. The concept of ‘loss and damage’ – familiar from international agreements on climate breakdown – should be considered for the effects of biodiversity loss in countries of the global south.”Like climate breakdown, loss of wildlife has significant social and economic impacts.
With the climate, the “polluter pays” principle is based on the notion that those who produce pollution should bear the costs of reducing its damage to human health and the environment. Researchers are exploring the idea of “consumer pays” for biodiversity: those who consume natural resources should pay for the impacts. “The first step is opening up the discussion about this and whether the principle of ‘consumer pays’ is a valid principle in the same way as ‘polluter pays’,” says Roe.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘It’s very rich’: The billionaire who loves to bake her specialty cakeNechama Werdiger, 88, is the matriarch of the family behind Juilliard Group. She lives in St Kilda, Victoria and is No.87 on the 2023 Rich List with an estimated wealth of $1.57 billion.
Read more »
Experts warn of increased risk of US terror attacks by rightwing ‘lone wolf’ actorsIndividuals rather than organized groups more likely to commit extremist crimes as inflammatory Republican rhetoric escalates
Read more »
'Awful': Frightening scenes as NRL player has seizureAn unexpected turn of events during last night's NRL match when a player suffered a seizure on the field. MORE: biancabalzer 9News
Read more »
Star speaks after frightening on-field collapseAn unexpected turn of events during last night's NRL match when a player suffered a seizure on the field. MORE: biancabalzer 9News
Read more »
Number of people prosecuted in China’s courts up 12% in five years, report showsExperts point to crackdown on national security and legal system that encourages guilty pleas
Read more »
Without warning, Daniel lost his hearing in one ear. It never returnedAlmost every day, a patient presents at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital’s emergency department with a sudden and mysterious loss of hearing. But the hospital’s experts are working on a solution.
Read more »