<p><span>Introduction</span></p>
<p><span>1. A very good morning to everyone!</span></p>
<p><span>2. All of us are joining this conference because we believe that sustainability is a critical global agenda. In the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/these-are-the-worlds-greatest-threats-2021/">World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report</a>, environmental risks remain the top threats by likelihood and impact, besides infectious diseases.</span></p>
May 22 is the International Day for Biological Diversity. IPS senior correspondent Stella Paul interviews AMEENAH GURIB-FAKIM, the first woman president of Mauritius and renowned biodiversity scientist.
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim is the first woman president of Mauritius and a renowned biodiversity scientist. Courtesy: International Labour Organisation/Crozet / Pouteau
HYDERABAD, India, May 20 2021 (IPS) - If we want to address the great challenges this world is facing, we have to factor in science into all our narratives, according to Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the first woman president of Mauritius and renowned biodiversity scientist.
In an interview conducted over Zoom, Gurib-Fakim tells IPS the real cost of biodiversity loss.
Mauritius First Female President on Why We Need Science Diplomacy to Address Major Challenges ipsnews.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ipsnews.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
This year the World Economic Forum Global Risk Report identified biodiversity loss and human environmental damage as two of the biggest risks to the global economy.
Continued business-as-usual approaches will result in reduced natural capital－such as fish from the sea－and disruptions in supply chains. These pose a risk to most businesses, even those that indirectly rely on the ocean, as more than half of global GDP is moderately or highly dependent on nature.
Demand for sustainable investment increasing
Pressure is building on unsustainable businesses to disclose climate-and nature-related risks. With credit rating agencies mainstreaming sustainability assessments and transition planning, and global accounting standards being updated to ensure inclusion of sustainability risks, there is simply no place to hide.