EDITORIAL

This month, Nature magazine published a key scientific article linking biodiversity, climate, and human rights. The article reveals that in 2022, we are collectively crossing the 6th frontier beyond the planet's sustainability threshold on a total of 9 dimensions.  

The level of water that plants “transpire”, which comes from rainwater stored in the soil, is now insufficient to compensate for the needs associated with agricultural activities in particular, in the context of increased deforestation and land conversion. The cycle is as follows: 

- Biodiversity destruction reduces the natural water regeneration capacity   

- This lack of local humidity exacerbates effects of climate change   

- Pressure from human activities only worsens this since it is more difficult to carry out agricultural activities for example, to regenerate  

Over the 2010s, we saw an increase in "zero deforestation" commitments. The reality, however, is that companies and investors alike have simply failed in their ability to take biodiversity into account in their operations. It is therefore essential to consider biodiversity issues in climate and human rights approaches.

We draw 3 lessons for Ksapa's clients, partners and programs:  

1. Identify the risks posed by the company's activities with regard to biodiversity, and integrate them into the financial information produced by companies and investors. In this context, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) published in March serves as a guideline for the disclosure of companies' dependency and impacts on biodiversity, as well as for the management of risks and opportunities. You are all invited to read and share your thoughts as part of the beta version, scheduled to release in 2023. 

2. Connecting biodiversity issues and human rights. Let's face it, biodiversity remains as abstract a notion as climate change to drive alignment within organizations, and with its stakeholders. Hunger, war, depreciation of undeveloped land, landslides... are all phenomena that challenge the responsibility of economic and financial actors towards their stakeholders when it comes to assessing how poor biodiversity management generates human rights risks. The Ksapa team is working to prompt and guide these reflections amongst clients and partners with structured methodology. 

3. Adopt innovative approaches following the circular economy approach and redesign agricultural chains. The best way to preserve biodiversity is to leave it alone. To this end, the lack of resources and efforts towards circular economy programs is clear while solutions exist. Developing and following a circular economy approach can reduce the footprint of our economic activities and products on biodiversity. As long as the 500 million small family farms that produce 80% of the world's food needs do not have access to training and resources that allow them to have a decent standard of living, they cannot contribute effectively to the biodiversity protection efforts. Here again, there are solutions that must urgently mobilize investors and companies, and concrete programs. 

These reflections and programs are at the heart of Ksapa's activities and its ecosystem. We will be happy to continue our exchanges in the future.  

Farid Baddache, CEO