Every company must avoid encroaching on ecosystems, to live up to the Break-Even Goals. Here we consider actions which go beyond this.
Through our physical presence and ongoing activities, humans have long encroached on and disrupted the natural world. As a result, many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are now on the brink of collapse.
Ecosystem degradation caused by others is reduced when:
This Positive Pursuit encompasses any action which achieves such an outcome.
Worsening land degradation caused by human activities is undermining the wellbeing of two fifths of humanity, driving species extinctions and intensifying climate change. It is also a major contributor to mass human migration and increased conflict.
46-58 thousand square miles of forest are lost each year – equivalent to 48 football fields every minute.
Globally, some 275 million people live within 30km of a coral reef, relying on complex food chains that begin in the crevices of the reefs. Even though reefs occupy a modest 0.2% of marine surface area, they provide food and shelter to around a third of marine species.
Hundreds of millions of people today go hungry, while unsustainable farming practices degrade soil quality, use too much water, reduce biodiversity, and put rural communities under pressure.
Learn more about SDG 2Access to clean freshwater is a fundamental human right, yet millions of people today do not have access to clean water for drinking, cooking and sanitation.
Learn more about SDG 6Half of humanity now lives in cities, and the number is increasing. For cities to thrive we must address the pressures that rapid urbanization is placing on freshwater, infrastructure, air quality and people’s health.
Learn more about SDG 11The effects of climate change - from changing weather patterns and more extreme weather events to rising sea levels - are impacting all countries, disrupting national economies and affecting people's lives.
Learn more about SDG 13The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive natural processes that make the Earth habitable for humankind. Careful management of this global resource is critical to our future.
Learn more about SDG 14Land degradation, deforestation and desertification - caused by human activities and climate change - pose big challenges to sustainable development and undermine the livelihoods of millions of people.
Learn more about SDG 15