The Centre for International Environmental Studies had the honour to host a Geneva Dialogue on the 18th of October with the Director General of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International, Marco Lambertini, with an introduction by Claude Martin, Chair of CIES Advisory Board and former Director General of WWF International. 

Titled “Tipping or Turning Point? Towards a Nature-Positive Society by 2030”, Lambertini’s lecture laid out the contradiction of our current world where we are fast approaching a tipping point in biodiversity, but more aware of the scale of problems than ever before. 

Humanity has achieved prosperity in a way that has come at nature’s expense. While we’ve witnessed an increase in average income and life expectancy, we’ve also witnessed an increase in species’ extinction rates and global temperatures. Protecting biodiversity is no longer about protecting animals, but about the survival of the human civilization. 

While a climate goal to achieve net-zero has become a clear global destination, the same must be set for nature. Lambertini laid out WWF’s ambitious plans for the next decade to achieve a nature-positive society by 2030. Unless we match the climate goal with the nature goal, we cannot even achieve the climate goal itself. 

The keys to achieve the nature-positive goal would involve protecting and restoring at least 30% of the land and ocean, sustainably managing the rest through ecosystem services, producing responsibly, consuming wisely, and redirecting financial flows to promote green growth and sustainable finance.

The destination for a nature-positive society by 2030 is ambitious, but the tipping point for biodiversity is imminent and the drastic consequences require immediate drastic action.