The Doñana Biological Station urges world leaders to act swiftly on biodiversity loss and climate change
According to the statement, the conservation and restoration of biodiversity—alongside climate change mitigation and adaptation—must be placed at the forefront of the new international development financing agenda, which is set to be negotiated next week in Seville.
Flamingos at the Santa Olalla lagoon in Doñana, October 2024, during its third consecutive year of drought. Photograph: Alejandro Muñoz.
On the occasion of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Seville from 30 June to 3 July, the Doñana Biological Station – CSIC has issued an urgent appeal to global political and economic leaders to prioritise biodiversity loss and the climate crisis at the highest levels of decision-making.
Scientists at the centre warn that humanity is facing an unprecedented ecological crisis, characterised by mass species extinction, a rapid rise in global average temperatures, and a destabilisation of ecosystems worldwide. These changes, they explain, are the direct result of unsustainable consumption patterns and the overexploitation of natural resources—particularly by countries in the Global North—placing at risk not only the planet’s biodiversity but also global health, well-being and food security.
Through their daily research in ecology, evolutionary biology, and biodiversity conservation, the staff at the Doñana Biological Station bear witness to this concerning reality.
“We have been documenting the tremendous loss of biodiversity in the Doñana National Park and many other locations around the world. Acting as the sad bookkeepers of species loss, ecosystem degradation, and ultimately also human suffering, makes us raise our voice”, said the scientists in the statement.
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development will bring together leaders from governments, international organisations, financial institutions, and the private sector to address financial challenges and advance investment in the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Doñana scientists caution, however, that “While the goals may seem potentially on track with a more sustainable world, the ambition shown so far is definitely too low and disconnected from the reality of the urgency.”
The statement ends with a clear call to action. The researchers urge political leaders to make halting biodiversity loss and tackling climate change a top priority, grounded in scientific evidence.
“Humanity can not afford the consequences of a hotter, less biodiverse world. We must summon all our courage to face this existential crisis of humanity. As scientists, we offer our curious minds and all our collective knowledge, upon which solutions for the transition to a sustainable world can hopefully be built. We urge world leaders to keep listening to researchers around the world and to take bold actions in accordance with the science,” the statement concludes.