The sum represents 2% of global GDP.
“At least 1.800 billion dollars” of public subsidies are at the origin each year of destruction of ecosystems and extinctions of species.
This is according to a study published Thursday by the “B Team”, an organization co-founded by the CEO of the Virgin group, Richard Branson, and bringing together leaders of companies and international foundations, as well as by “Business for Nature”. , a global coalition of businesses and NGOs.
“The fossil fuel, agriculture and water sectors receive more than 80% of all environmentally harmful subsidies,” the organizations said in a statement, calling on governments to “redirect, repurpose or eliminate them" by 2030.
Businesses rely on nature at every stage of the value chain, yet new analysis by Doug Koplow & @RonSteenblik reveals that govts spend $1.8tn/year subsidizing the destruction of nature.
Learn about this complex figure & our call for #SubsidyReform: https://t.co/Dc5m6YKLUy #COP15 pic.twitter.com/oAO9YfkvQ9
— The B Team (@thebteamhq) February 18, 2022
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Soy, biofuels, irrigation…
Among the subsidies in question are, for example, those for cattle farms and soybean production in Brazil, for their role in deforestation, or even support for biofuels in Europe, which encourage the extension of arable land to the detriment of biodiversity.
The irrigation subsidy in the district of Palo Verde in California is also singled out, accused of promoting drought.
Aid, in Iran in particular, for electricity or fuel supplying water pumps and depleting groundwater at too rapid a rate, is also targeted.
The study thus figures at 640 billion dollars per year the sums received by the fossil fuel sector which contribute in particular to water and air pollution or land subsidence.
Agriculture is concerned to the tune of 520 billion dollars, and is linked to problems of soil erosion, water pollution or deforestation.
According to the authors, 155 billion per year encourages unsustainable forest management.
Better targeting to reverse natural losses
But the survey also shows that better targeting of subsidies could help halt and even reverse these natural losses by 2030. All this while benefiting businesses as “more than half of global GDP (…) depends on nature" to varying degrees.
But "any reform of subsidies must take into account social and environmental impacts, to avoid affecting the poorest households and the most vulnerable communities around the world", according to the "B Team" and "Business for Nature".
This call takes place a few weeks before an upcoming part of COP15, the UN convention on biodiversity.
This was to take place in January in Geneva but was postponed because of the Omicron variant.
It must now be held from March 13 to 29.
Planet
Why some rainforests regenerate (very) quickly and naturally
Planet
Why some rainforests regenerate (very) quickly and naturally
Deforestation
Threatened species
Subsidies
Environment
Planet
Pollution
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