Biodiversity is essential for sustainable development, according to the UN. One way to think about these two notions is that biodiversity plays a key role in the achievement of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Without biodiversity we would have no food to eat or clean water to drink. Biodiversity also mitigates climate change, supports human health, and provides jobs. Together, biodiversity and healthy ecosystems increase resilience and serve as natural buffers against extreme weather events such as droughts, storms, and other disasters.
On one hand, biodiversity is essential for continued human life. On the other hand, sustainable development is needed to ensure that this life support system is maintained. Therefore one of the goals of sustainable development is to preserve, restore or enhance biodiversity, for the sake of life on Earth as we know it. Last but not least, this development must be inclusive in order to be sustainable.
Biodiversity and sustainable development: how one can benefit the other
What is biodiversity and why is it important
Biodiversity is the diversity of life on Earth. It includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems: not only the millions of different plants, animals and microbes that live on our planet, but also the genetic variations and traits within species (such as different crop varieties). Biodiversity also refers to all the different kinds of ecosystems that exist on land and below water.
The importance of biodiversity cannot be overstated: it directly supports agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism, and other economic activities and provides vital benefits to our societies and economies at the global, regional and local level. These benefits include nutrient cycling, habitat provisioning, pollination, erosion control and climate regulation, according to the OECD.
The importance of biodiversity cannot be overstated: it directly supports agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism, and other economic activities and provides vital benefits to our societies and economies at the global, regional and local level. These benefits include nutrient cycling, habitat provisioning, pollination, erosion control and climate regulation, according to the OECD.
How does biodiversity contribute to sustainability?
Many people wonder: how is biodiversity related to sustainability? One aspect is that all food systems everywhere depend on biodiversity to keep our farms productive and our soils fertile. As well, the links between biodiversity and health are increasingly recognized as more and more deaths globally are attributed to environmental factors. Healthy ecosystems with thriving biodiversity help mitigate air, water, and soil pollution and are the source of both modern and traditional medicines, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). However these resources must be exploited in a sustainable way, or else humanity will run out of nutritious food, clean water and breathable air.
How to preserve biodiversity: Enel X's commitment
Biodiversity and sustainability must go hand in hand if we are to keep our planet habitable. The conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development are intertwined and can be achieved in many ways. For example, practices such as green urbanism can make cities more sustainable by enhancing biodiversity. More and more companies are choosing to make commitments to sustainability a key pillar of their business strategies. In another example of enhancing biodiversity for sustainable development, Enel X adopted three beehives to be placed on the roof of company headquarters in Rome, in an effort to support these vital pollinators within the urban ecosystem. Biodiversity is our planet's life support system — one that we must preserve for the benefit of present and future generations.
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