New global report: Transforming food, travel and consumption is critical to halting biodiversity loss
A new global report warns that halting biodiversity loss will require not only stronger conservation efforts, but a fundamental shift in how societies produce and consume food, energy and goods.
Berlin, 3 March 2026 – Protecting wildlife and expanding conservation areas will not be enough to stop biodiversity loss. A new global report finds that transforming the systems shaping how people eat, travel and consume is equally essential.
Released by the Hot or Cool Institute with analytical support from the University of Jyväskylä, Nature-Positive Lifestyles: Unlocking Opportunities for People and Planet (2026) shows that food accounts for between 51% and 84% of lifestyle-related biodiversity impacts in Brazil, Finland and Japan. Land-use change linked to animal-based products is the dominant driver, with transport, housing energy use and consumer goods also contributing significantly.
The report argues that biodiversity loss is embedded in patterns of consumption and production. While conservation and ecosystem restoration remain vital, they address symptoms rather than the upstream drivers of land-use change, resource extraction and pollution.
It identifies three priorities for governments ahead of upcoming biodiversity negotiations: integrate lifestyle transformation into national biodiversity strategies, adopt consumption-based biodiversity indicators in national reporting, and implement coordinated policy packages that make nature-positive choices accessible and affordable.
The study provides the first multi-country comparison linking everyday consumption to biodiversity loss and maps more than 100 existing policy measures across food, mobility, housing and consumer goods.
Read the Full Report: https://hotorcool.org/publications/nature-positive-lifestyles-unlocking-opportunities-for-people-and-planet
