A national report recently warned of the “cascading risks of ecosystem degradation” – and it’s a warning the Nature Commission says we need to heed across the Bailiwick.
Commissioned by the UK Government, the report predicted some potentially devastating consequences possibly as early as 2030.
The report, available on the UK Government website HERE, warns that “ecosystem degradation is occurring across all regions”.
Guernsey’s Nature Commission says this includes “direct consequences” for us.
The Nature Commission’s Ecologist Charlotte Burgoine explains in detail what this could mean for us, and what could be done to help combat the effects of ecosystem degradation, below:
UK report on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and national security
The UK released a report this week warning that global biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse pose a direct threat to national security. The report describes nature as a cornerstone of national stability, emphasizing that healthy, thriving ecosystems are essential for providing ecosystem services—the direct and indirect benefits that support human well-being and quality of life. Human survival depends on these services for fundamental needs such as clean air, water, and food production.
However, these life-sustaining systems are now under unprecedented strain. The report states that every critical ecosystem on Earth is currently degrading and approaching a potential tipping point. Ecosystem collapse occurs when natural systems can no longer maintain their essential functions, and some ecosystems are projected to begin failing as early as the 2030s. The loss of vital services—such as water cycling, soil formation, and pollination—would trigger widespread crop failures, leading to food shortages, rising prices, and increased risk of famine.
Ecosystem collapse is being driven by global biodiversity loss. Wildlife populations have declined dramatically, with vertebrate species decreasing by an average of 68% since 1970 and freshwater species populations falling by 84%. Food production is the leading cause of terrestrial biodiversity loss worldwide, creating a dangerous feedback loop in which environmental degradation threatens future food security. To prevent this, a balance must be achieved that preserves space for nature while continuing to meet human needs.
What does this mean for Guernsey?
The degradation of global ecosystems threatens the UK’s national security and economic prosperity, with direct consequences for Guernsey. Global food shortages resulting from ecosystem collapse would have a severe impact on the island, as Guernsey imports a significant proportion of food resources. Increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events also pose growing risks, a trend already being experiences by islanders.
The UK report identifies key drivers of biodiversity loss, including climate change, over-exploitation of natural resources, changes in land and sea use, pollution, and invasive species. These same pressures are highlighted in the State of Nature 2024 report for Guernsey and Herm, underscoring that biodiversity loss is not just a global challenge, but also a local one. Addressing these threats requires coordinated action at all levels.
Addressing biodiversity loss locally
The UK report emphasizes that protecting and restoring ecosystems is more effective, cost-efficient, and reliable than attempting to replicate ecosystem services through technological solutions. Reducing human pressures on natural systems is also essential to preventing ecological collapse. This section outlines local actions that can help “stem the tide” of environmental degradation.
The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, a goal that would help avert ecosystem collapse. A key target of this framework is the protection of 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030 under the Convention on Biological Diversity. In Guernsey, where land is a limited resource, it is especially important that rural landscapes support both wildlife and productive agriculture. Nature-friendly, regenerative farming practices can reduce pollution, improve soil health, prevent carbon loss, and promote greater biodiversity.
This excerpt from the 2024 State of Nature report shows how Guernsey compares to other crown dependencies in terms of protection. While terrestrial/freshwater habitat protections are similar, Guernsey is lacking in protection of marine habitats. Supporting the implementation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in our territorial waters could include measures such as controls on damaging activities in sensitive areas. This will help protect our fragile marine habitats and allow the associated species, including commercially viable species, to recover and support wider populations.
The Framework also aims to have 30% of global nature under restoration by 2030. Many areas of land in Guernsey are not actively being farmed but are equally important. Restoration and appropriate management of these areas can equally contribute to the island’s ecology and biodiversity globally. For more information on how landowners can manage land for nature see Chapter 8 of the 2024 State of Nature report.
Financial services gain significant economic value from ecosystem services. In 2021, the total asset value of ecosystem services in the UK was just over £1.5 trillion, a 3% increase since 2017 (Office for National Statistics, 2023). If ecosystems collapse these services will be lost. For more information on how businesses can help see Chapter 8 of the 2024 State of Nature report.
Guernsey is lacking in progress in terms of nature conservation by the government. This is particularly evident in the absence of robust wildlife and habitat protection legislation. There is also a lack of representation for wildlife in the decision-making processes in the States of Guernsey. Robust policies and legislation are some of the main tools in ensuring the protection of our habitats and species, and addressing biodiversity loss.
It’s not just government and businesses that have a part to play in protecting our natural environment locally. State of Nature 2024 for Guernsey and Herm provides lots of ways that we as individuals and communities can action to benefit nature locally. Actions such as:
- Influencing those around you, including your family, friends, and decision-makers at business and government level to ensure nature if considered.
- Record you biological sighting through free apps such as iRecord, to help build the evidence-based on how our local natural environment is fairing.
- Volunteer with a local nature-based charity and support the amazing work they do in protecting and enhancing nature in Guernsey.
- Garden for nature – one third of land in Guernsey is gardens, so image how much native biodiversity support there would be if we all garden for nature. Check out State of Nature 2024 for ways you can do this.
- Consider the impact of your activities on the environment – there are lots of ways you can reduce your negative impact on nature, from disposing of rubbish properly, to following the rules for dog-friendly beaches to reduce wildlife harassment, to ensuring you put rocks back how you found them when going ormering.
Can Guernsey have an impact on the global stage?
The report warns that “all countries are exposed to the risks of ecosystem collapse within and beyond their borders.” Globally, nature is declining at an unprecedented rate, with wildlife populations falling by around 60% over the past 40 years and extinction rates now estimated to be 100 to 1,000 times higher than the natural background rate observed over millions of years. Guernsey is not immune to these trends; in fact, as an island, it is particularly vulnerable to biodiversity loss. Although islands account for just 6.7% of the world’s land area, they support approximately 20% of global plant and animal species.
Despite its small size, Guernsey already plays an outsized role in global biodiversity. The island supports around 15% of the world’s critically endangered Balearic Shearwater population, which moults in Bailiwick waters. More than 1% of the biogeographic populations of the Northern Gannet, European Shag, and Lesser Black-backed Gull are also found here. Guernsey is home to internationally important marine habitats, including eelgrass beds, kelp forests, rocky and tide-swept reefs, and other subtidal benthic ecosystems.
Guernsey also hosts two Ramsar sites, part of a global network of more than 2,500 wetlands of international importance covering approximately 2.5 million square kilometres worldwide. Habitats such as Eelgrass beds and Kelp forests act as powerful nature-based solutions to climate change, capturing carbon from the atmosphere and helping to buffer coastlines against storm energy.
Guernsey may be small, but it has a meaningful role to play on the global stage. The loss of biodiversity and collapse of ecosystems would have profound consequences for the island. By collaborating with other Channel Islands and Crown Dependencies, Guernsey can amplify its impact. Through the protection and restoration of local habitats and species, we can help halt biodiversity loss and reduce the risk of ecosystem collapse—both locally and globally.
More to follow…
