Trend Undervalued nature and ecosystem collapse becoming costly

Summary

Among its short-term trajectories, the report expects that markets undervaluing nature and the collapse of fragile ecosystems could impose very high costs on the global economy. According to a World Economic Forum estimate, 44 trillion US dollars of economic value, over half of world GDP, depends to a moderate or high degree on nature and what it provides. Biodiversity loss affects the supply of raw materials such as food, timber, cotton and plant-based medicines, as well as ecosystem functions such as pollination and purification. Conversely, nature-based solutions are estimated to avert 57 billion US dollars in flood damage each year across five countries. Access to green and blue space could reduce NHS costs by 2.1 billion pounds annually. The report holds that protecting and improving nature can grow the economy through jobs, tourism and local investment.