FROM THE GUARDIAN — THEY SAY COPORATIONS NEED TO LOOK AFTER OUR PLANET

Support the Guardian Support us Fund independent journalism Down To Earth - The Guardian A state-owned coal fired power plant in Guizhou province, southern China. 12/02/2026 Businesses must take responsibility for biodiversity loss – for their sake as much as ours   Patrick Greenfield Patrick Greenfield It feels like groundhog day: another week, another warning about the seriousness of the biodiversity crisis. This time it was the financial sector’s turn, as on Monday a major report, approved by more than 150 governments, said that many companies face collapse unless they better protect nature. From healthy rivers to productive forests, the natural world underpins almost all economic activity. But human consumption of the Earth’s resources is unsustainable, driving what many scientists believe is the largest loss of life since the dinosaurs. And companies are not immune to the consequences. More after this week’s most important reads.   Essential reads Economics has failed on the climate crisis. This complexity scientist has a mind-blowing plan to fix that Economics has failed on the climate crisis. This complexity scientist has a mind-blowing plan to fix that ‘To live a normal life again, it’s a dream come true’: UK’s first climate evacuees can cast off their homes and trauma ‘To live a normal life again, it’s a dream come true’: UK’s first climate evacuees can cast off their homes and trauma ‘We’ve lost everything’: anger and despair in Sicilian town collapsing after landslide ‘We’ve lost everything’: anger and despair in Sicilian town collapsing after landslide   In focus A river delta with green areas, sand and water, and mountains in the background According to an assessment by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the ongoing loss of nature poses a systemic risk to the global economy. Its findings echo much of what we already know: governments subsidise activities driving nature’s destruction by $2.4tn (£1.8tn) each year. In 2023, an estimated $7.3tn of public and private finance flowed into business activities that are harmful to nature, while just $220bn goes to activities that conserve biodiversity. “The loss of biodiversity is among the most serious threats to business,” said Prof Stephen Polasky, co-chair of the IPBES assessment. “The twisted reality is that it often seems more profitable to businesses to degrade biodiversity than to protect it. Business as usual may once have seemed profitable in the short term, but impacts across multiple businesses can have cumulative effects, aggregating to global impacts, which can cross ecological tipping points.” Despite the risks, there is little sign that humanity is responding with the urgency that the science demands. With a few notable exceptions, warnings about the consequences of nature loss for business have gone unheeded. Less than 1% of public companies mention biodiversity in their company impact reports, according to the assessment. A brilliant series of graphics, laid out by my Guardian colleague Alex Clark this week, shows that economic growth has long been tied to pollution and environmental destruction. Eva Zabey, CEO of Business for Nature, a coalition of business associations and companies pushing for greater action on conservation, says: “The IPBES assessment is a scientific reality check: biodiversity loss is now a systemic risk to the global economy and business itself. We have the frameworks. We have the solutions. There is no excuse for inaction. We welcome this report as an urgent wake-up call. Businesses, the financial sector and governments already have access to enough information to turn their intention into impact. Let’s put in place the systems and incentives to make it happen, fast.” It is easy to direct anger at businesses. From the fossil fuel companies driving global heating to extractive companies destroying ecosystems for raw materials, there are obvious examples where stronger action is needed. But the vast majority of companies have bigger immediate problems; indeed, it is unlikely that this assessment will even cross the desk of any major CEO. They need direction from governments and there are more and more examples of backsliding. Just four years ago, almost every government on the planet agreed, at Cop15 in Montreal, to transformational change for nature by the end of the decade. Once again, it seems clear that we will fall short. At the report’s launch, I asked the authors if we can realistically expect meaningful action from businesses while there is such weak leadership from politicians. “I don’t think we can expect businesses to take all the action,” said Matt Jones, a co-chair of the assessment. “That is not what this report says. We do not say that businesses have to act voluntarily. For the change that we really need, we need collective action. And that includes government. They are in an incredible position to set the way for businesses to then respond.” The world desperately needs leadership on nature in the era of Trump. Where will it come from? Read more: ‘It sounds apocalyptic’: experts warn of impact of UK floods on birds, butterflies and dormice Indonesia takes action against mining firms after floods devastate population of world’s rarest ape ‘We thought they would ignore us’: how humans are changing the way raptors behave   Composted reads The good news ‘A beaver blind date’: animals given freedom to repopulate Cornish rivers ‘A beaver blind date’: animals given freedom to repopulate Cornish rivers ‘We can learn from the old’: how architects are returning to the earth to build homes for the future ‘We can learn from the old’: how architects are returning to the earth to build homes for the future Only seven new petrol-powered cars sold in Norway in January Only seven new petrol-powered cars sold in Norway in January The bad news Post-Brexit sales of British farm products to EU fall by 37% Post-Brexit sales of British farm products to EU fall by 37% Outrage after US Congress votes to slash $125m in funding to replace toxic lead pipes Outrage after US Congress votes to slash $125m in funding to replace toxic lead pipes Israel accused of spraying cancer-linked herbicide on farms in southern Lebanon Israel accused of spraying cancer-linked herbicide on farms in southern Lebanon Read more on The Guardian right arrow The most important number of the climate crisis: 427.7 Atmospheric CO2 in parts per million, 5 February 2026 Source: NOAA   Climate hero – Bad River Band of Lake Superior’s Chippewa Tribe Members of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Tribe protest walking down a road with trees on either side Tucked along the south shore of Lake Superior in Wisconsin sits the Bad River reservation. Containing 500 miles (805km) of rivers and 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) of wetlands, it is home to a number of Ojibwe Indigenous tribes. One group working to protect their land from the climate crisis and extraction efforts is the Bad River Band of Lake Superior’s Chippewa Tribe. The group have won a number of awards for protecting their wetlands and, as Oliver Milman reported, were among those who protested against the Enbridge Line 5 oil and natural gas pipeline, saying the 70-year-old pipeline put their way of life in peril. Nominated by reader Genie Stoker If you’d like to nominate a climate hero, email downtoearth@theguardian.com   Climate jargon – Decoupling Smoke billows from a large steel plant as a Chinese labourer works at an unauthorised steel factory in China. Decoupling is the process of breaking the link between economic growth and environmental harm. In other words, finding ways for countries to grow their GDP while reducing their impact on the planet – specifically lowering their fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. There are two types of decoupling: absolute decoupling, where GDP grows and fossil fuel consumption and emissions shrink, and relative decoupling, where fossil fuel consumption and emissions keeps growing, but more slowly than GDP. For more Guardian coverage of decoupling, click here   Picture of the week Courtesy of Hattie Crowther Credit: courtesy of Hattie Crowther Xaymaca Awoyungbo reports for the Guardian this week on a growing club of designers reclaiming football shirts otherwise destined for landfill. From custom jackets to unique headgear, makers such as Hattie Crowther are upcycling discarded shirts, helping the planet in the process. “I’m not here to add more products into the mix,” says Crowther. “I’m here to reframe what’s already in circulation and give it meaning, context and longevity while staying culturally relevant.” For more of the week’s best environmental pictures, catch up on The Week in Wildlife here   Get in touch If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email downtoearth@theguardian.com https://www.theguardian.com/uk Manage your emails | Unsubscribe You are receiving this email because you are a subscriber to Down To Earth. Guardian News & Media Limited - a member of Guardian Media Group PLC. Registered Office: Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9GU. Registered in England No. 908396