Forum Biodiversity conservation in a post-COVID-19 economy C HRIS S ANDBROOK,ERIK G ÓMEZ-BAGGETHUN and W ILLIAM M. ADAMS Abstract The impacts of the COVID- pandemic extend dominated habitats, and enforced shutdowns making peo- to global biodiversity and its conservation. Although short- ple more aware of the species and ecosystems around term beneficial or adverse impacts on biodiversity have them, perhaps awakening public concern for the state of been widely discussed, there is less attention to the likely nature (e.g. Corlett et al., ; Helm, ). political and economic responses to the crisis and their im- The COVID- pandemic also has short-term downsides plications for conservation. Here we describe four possible for biodiversity and conservation, linked to the severe global alternative future policy responses: () restoration of the economic recession it has triggered. Firstly, subsistence cri- previous economy, () removal of obstacles to economic ses in developing countries have increased the consumptive growth, () green recovery and () transformative economic use of wild species, as people seek food or saleable commodi- reconstruction. Each alternative offers opportunities and ties (Paxton, ). Although nature can play an important risks for conservation. They differ in the agents they em- role as a safety net for well-being during difficult times, even phasize to mobilize change (e.g. markets or states) and in the established community-managed sustainable use systems extent to which they prioritize or downplay the protection risk failure under such pressures. Secondly, economic dis- of nature. We analyse the advantages and disadvantages of ruption has reduced the financial and human capital of con- these four options from a conservation perspective. We servation organizations. Problems include loss of income argue that the choice of post-COVID- recovery strategy for conservation that is derived directly or indirectly from has huge significance for the future of biodiversity, and wildlife-based enterprises such as tourism, government tax that conservationists of all persuasions must not shrink revenues being reallocated to social benefits (e.g. for the from engagement in the debates to come. many new unemployed), changing donor priorities to ad- dress the pandemic, and reduced funding from corporate Keywords Biodiversity conservation, conservation futures, or philanthropic donors (Sandbrook, ). Taken together COVID-, degrowth, Green New Deal, green recovery, these negative impacts may outweigh the immediate bene- political economy, transformative change fits for biodiversity from COVID- (Gardner, ). Beyond the short-term impacts of the pandemic, there is growing debate on the shape of international and national policies for the world after (or with) COVID-.Roy() Introduction describes the pandemic as ‘a portal, a gateway between one world and the next’. Governments and international institu- he COVID- pandemic has caused huge global social tions are now seeking to develop a route out of the portal of and economic disruption. A rapidly growing literature T the COVID-induced global recession (Helm, ; Inter- on the coronavirus explores the many dimensions of its national Monetary Fund, ). There are various potential social, economic and environmental impacts (e.g. Monbiot, pathways, each of which entails a very different relationship ; Zizek, ). There is increasing debate about the between human society and non-human life on Earth. Even implications of the pandemic for global biodiversity and ef- as much of the conservation sector is embroiled in a battle forts to conserve it. Some commentators identify short-term for survival in the midst of the crisis, it is essential to look to benefits for biodiversity, such as less pollution as a result the future and weigh the consequences of different post- of reduced human activity, wildlife reclaiming human- COVID- economic scenarios for conservation. Here we consider the conservation implications of four al- CHRIS SANDBROOK (Corresponding author, orcid.org/0000-0002-9938-4934) ternative future political and economic responses to the crisis. and WILLIAM M. ADAMS Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, We identified the scenarios on the basis of options that have Downing Place, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK. E-mail [email protected] received wide attention before and during the COVID- cri- ERIK GÓMEZ-BAGGETHUN* Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Oslo, sis in policy, the media and/or academic debates, and named Norway them according to their central objectives. These are: () res- *Also at: Department of International Environment and Development Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway toration of the previous economy, ( ) removal of obstacles to Received July . Revision requested August . economic growth, ( ) green recovery and ( ) transformative Accepted October . economic reconstruction (Table ). Each of these possible This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, Downloadeddistribution, from https://www.cambridge.org/core and reproduction in any medium,. IP address: provided 170.106.35.229 the original work, on is 26 properly Sep 2021 cited. at 01:38:20, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/termsOryx, Page 1 of 7 © The Author(s),. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605320001039 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605320001039 2 C. Sandbrook et al. TABLE 1 Four possible future policy responses to the COVID- crisis and their implications for conservation. Social & economic Environmental Key Key Attitude to Impacts on policies policies investments divestments Key actors COVID-19 conservation Restoration of the previous economy Austerity, with Mix of public pol- As before As before Governments Temporary blip. Existing conser- welfare packages & icies & market- COVID crises COVID crises & private sec- We can get vation projects & stimulus to private based instruments tor/markets through this. areas will survive & financial sectors but biodiversity loss will continue Removal of obstacles to economic growth Stimulus to private Sell off protected Fossil fuels, Environment Stronger Blame nature: Increased fund- & financial sectors, areas, environmen- aviation in- & welfare market eradicate species ing available for flexibilization of tal deregulation, dustry, mining policies orientation harbouring conservation but labour markets opening up of nat- & logging disease likely to acceler- ural capital to ate biodiversity exploitation loss, resource depletion, & in- creases in carbon emissions Green recovery Welfare packages & Technologies for Renewables & Fossil fuels Mix of public Opportunity to If decoupling government-led carbon capture & other green policies & launch Green achieved, climate green job creation storage, renewables, technologies market based New Deal change slows as an economic use of green infor- in search of instruments down, pollution stimulus mation & commu- ecoefficiency & habitat loss nication technology may decrease for raising energy efficiency, develop- ment of markets for ecosystem services, government-led green job creation Transformative economic reconstruction Sufficiency, Adoption of alter- Basic income, Fossil fuels, Mix of public Decentralized Climate change through basic in- native indicators of care sector & military, avi- policies & production & less will slow down, come, max–min progress, work time essential ation industry, grassroots mobile society re- pollution & re- income ratios, pro- reduction, deeper services advertising movements duces pandemic source depletion gressive taxation, reforms in tax, fiscal risks, opportunity will decrease, work time sharing & monetary policy, for transformative habitat loss may & reduction trade & finance, re- change increase source & emission caps futures carries a different range of opportunities and risks. We the least reform or disruption to existing institutions, legal explore these possibilities from a conservation perspective, systems or ways of life. drawing on a range of blogs and commentaries published dur- This scenario has some immediate advantages for con- ing the crisis as well as on the peer reviewed literature. servation, because it would facilitate the restoration of pre- vious sources of funding. Before COVID-, international conservation organizations relied on tax revenues, corporate Restoration of the previous economy funding (using some spare profit to gift to NGOs), and do- nations from Trusts and high net worth individuals. Much The first scenario is an attempt to restore previous forms on-the-ground conservation was dependent on wildlife and levels of economic activity. This return to something re- tourism, whether through business–community partner- sembling business as usual is likely to be the most appealing ships (including direct wages, indirect economic contribu- for politicians, businesses and publics because it requires tions, dividend or lease fee payments), or in business–state Oryx, Page 2 of 7 © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605320001039 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.229, on 26 Sep 2021 at 01:38:20, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.