Scientists warn a million species at risk of extinction because of human activity
- Compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries, the study is a cornerstone of an emerging body of research suggesting the need for ‘post-growth’ economics
- Otherwise the world faces existential risks posed by the mutually-reinforcing consequences of pollution, habitat destruction and carbon emissions
“The essential, interconnected web of life on Earth is getting smaller and increasingly frayed,” said Professor Josef Settele, who co-chaired the study, launched in Paris on Monday by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
“This loss is a direct result of human activity and constitutes a direct threat to human well-being in all regions of the world.”
Compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries, the study is a cornerstone of an emerging body of research that suggests the world may need to embrace a new “post-growth” form of economics if it is to avert the existential risks posed by the mutually-reinforcing consequences of pollution, habitat destruction and carbon emissions.
Known as the Global Assessment, the report found that up to one million of Earth’s estimated eight million plant, insect and animal species are at risk of extinction, many within decades.