Forum Opening

Released in 2019, the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report delivered a stark message on the state of the Planet, and the staggering loss of species. It called for systemic change in our economic and financial systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed governments, central banks, public and private investors at large to focus on the recovery of heavily affected economies. The resulting stimulus plans have in some cases included nature or climate-related budget lines, to help “green the recovery”. But in most cases, there remains an untapped opportunity to change the focus significantly to ensure that economies develop at a minimum without harming nature, and at best, using Nature-based solutions to stimulate growth. This may be the time when transformative change can actually be initiated, thanks to the inflow of newly designed investments. This session will suggest ways to bring about systemic change through nature-based recovery.