To halt or reverse biodiversity loss, it is critical to understand the role of biodiversity in food production and consumption, water quality and availability, climate regulation and mitigation, human and ecosystem health, energy production and means of transportation.

Through an iterative process of knowledge co-production, we BIONEXT researchers collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders in four workshops to design desirable futures and multiple just transition pathways.

With the global climate negotiations progressing, and countries now - for the first time ever! - being called on to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, the role of biodiversity in tackling the climate crisis is becoming more and more apparent. But how did the COP28 in Dubai reflect nature and biodiversity loss?

When discussing major challenges like biodiversity loss, climate change and social injustices, fixing each separately isn’t enough. We need to change how we deal with the natural world altogether – we need transformative change. But what exactly is this change and why is it crucial for our environment and us?

The European Commission funded the BIONEXT project with 4.1 million euros. We in the project asked the European Commission why the project was funded to shed light on the importance of the project. The answers were provided by our project officer Colombe Warin who works at the European Research Executive Agency (REA) as a project adviser.

We’ve read over 1,000 case studies related to biodiversity. Here’s what we’ve learnt so far.

2023 has so far been a year dominated by new climate records and extreme weather events such as extreme heat in southern Europe, flash floods in Hong Kong, Slovenia and Brazil, and the highest recorded global monthly average sea surface temperature in August (WMO, 2023). The list goes on.

Visiting Milan to join the 2023 European Business and Nature Summit (EBNS 2023), where frontrunning European businesses will discuss their action on nature, my first stop is the city’s cathedral. What a powerful masterpiece this is. Inspirational, not only for architects and tourists, but also for everyone who wants to learn how to reach the hearts of people.

Various catchy rules, such as the “3-30-300 rule”, or the “15-minute city” are becoming increasingly popular on how to green a city and allow easy access to green public spaces.

People and nature are interconnected in many ways. Our lives depend on nature’s goods and services, but our use of these resources has an impact on nature and its capacity to support us.

We’re bringing together and analyzing case studies of real-world projects and initiatives that have delivered, or attempted to deliver, transformative change for biodiversity.

We are seeking examples of projects or initiatives that address biodiversity along with at least one of the following elements: water, food, energy, transport, climate, and/or health. Read this blog and complete a short form to submit your examples.

Nature for society, nature as culture, or nature for nature – what will Europe look like in the year 2050? European changemakers are exploring a new set of visions for nature-centered Europe for 2050. In a May workshop in Greece, stakeholders created scenarios and visions of what a nature-centered Europe looks like in the year 2050. So, what were the results?

Close your eyes and imagine your ideal Europe in 2050. How would it look if we managed to achieve all that we have set out to do? What does Europe’s nature and society look like in this future?

The BIONEXT project is identifying pathways that help to achieve sustainable, nature-centered futures and societies. One key component of these pathways is the Pathways app, which will be based on good, real-world practices where biodiversity and nature have been the center of decision-making.

We are all familiar with the role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in relation to one of the major challenges of our times: climate change. IPCC works in close consultation with governments to assess scientific knowledge about climate change.

New research and innovation project BIONEXT creates novel science-based solutions and tools for halting biodiversity loss and achieving sustainable, nature-centered future and societies.