Investing in nature to transform the post COVID-19 economy

An article published in Solutions Journal sets out a 10-point Action Plan to create a circular bioeconomy devoted to sustainable wellbeing.

The COVID-19 crisis and future recovery presents a unique opportunity to transition towards a sustainable wellbeing economy centered around people and nature. The Action Plan is a call for global, holistic and transformative action to put the world on a sustainable path, and features the latest scientific insights and breakthrough technologies from a number of disciplines and sectors.

Coordinated by EFI Director Marc Palahí, the Action Plan sets out the importance of moving towards a circular bioeconomy to holistically transform and manage our land, food, health and industrial systems with the goal of achieving sustainable wellbeing in harmony with nature.

“The Action Plan is our response to HRH The Prince of Wales’ recent call to invest in nature as the true engine for our economy”, said Marc Palahí. “It is divided up into six transformative action points, and four enabling action points, which mutually reinforce each other and should be implemented in an integrated manner.

The 10 action points include:

1. Aim at sustainable wellbeing 
2. Invest in nature and biodiversity
3. Ensure an equitable distribution of prosperity
4. Rethink holistically land, food and health systems
5. Transform industrial sectors
6. Reimagine cities through ecological lenses
7. Create an enabling regulatory framework
8. Bring purposeful innovation to the investment and political agenda
9. Ensure access to finance and enhance risk-taking capacity
10. Intensify and broaden research and education

More information

A 10-point Action Plan to create a circular bioeconomy devoted to sustainable wellbeing

M. Palahí, M. Pantsar, R. Costanza, I. Kubiszewski, J. Potočnik, M. Stuchtey, R. Nasi, H. Lovins, E. Giovannini, L. Fioramonti, S. Dixson-Declève, J. McGlade, K. Pickett, R. Wilkinson, J. Holmgren, K. Trebeck, S. Wallis, M. Ramage, G. Berndes, F. K. Akinnifesi, K.V. Ragnarsdóttir, B. Muys, G. Safonov, A. D. Nobre, C. Nobre, D. Ibañez, A. Wijkman, J. Snape, L. Bas. 2020. Investing in Nature to Transform the Post COVID-19 Economy. Solutions Journal, Volume 11, issue 2.

https://thesolutionsjournal.com/2020/05/14/investing-in-nature-to-transform-the-post-covid-19-economy-a-10-point-action-plan-to-create-a-circular-bioeconomy-devoted-to-sustainable-wellbeing/ (link checked and updated 20.4.2022)

Listen to HRH The Prince of Wales speaking about investing in nature on BBC Radio: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08j2frj