Issue Biodiversity litigation against corporations and governments

Summary

The report treats legal liability for biodiversity loss as a long-term uncertainty. Because of the economic and health consequences of that loss, companies and governments that fail to act could face lawsuits. Such cases could result in expensive compensation and prompt rapid reforms aimed at heading off further litigation. The report cites a World Economic Forum estimate that 44 trillion US dollars of economic value, more than half of global GDP, depends on nature. Declining biodiversity can raise disease risk and narrow the prospects for medical discovery. The UK has already set legal targets to halt nature's decline through the 2023 Environmental Improvement Plan and the Environment Act 2021.