Growing bio engineering responses at small and large scales

The immediate and long-term impacts of climate change are driving significant change to the world’s natural ecosystems with biodiversity, species and resource loss. While ecosystem management and conservation efforts are accelerating, there is also an increasing interest in technological, bio and geo-engineering interventions.

Changes we are seeing

Climate change continues to drive biodiversity losses. 

  • The world’s natural ecosystems have declined by 47% relative to their natural baselines and 25% of living species are at risk of extinction1.
  • Record heatwaves, ocean acidification, changes in water quality/quantity are all creating stress for ecosystems and possible risks of species loss.  

Along with conservation efforts such as rewilding and financially-driven response efforts, there is also increased attention to biotechnologies and geo-engineering. 

  • First biodiversity-adjusted sovereign credit ratings and financial reporting show that ecological destruction effects public finances and drives debt.
  • Rewilding work is increasingly seen as a reaction to biodiversity loss with greater investment in save our species and breeding programs. 
  • Synthetic biology across food, energy and land sectors is increasing.
  • World Trade Organisation issue warnings over climate bioengineering noting that changing temperature, whitening clouds, injecting particles into the atmosphere could be dangerous due to unknown impacts.
  • Biotechnology and bio-engineering responses to climate change are increasingly considered, including interventions in ecosystems (growing coral reefs to try to change weather patterns)

Changing patterns of resource use and depletion may result in industry transformations that further drives biodiversity and ecosystem change.