Berlin Declaration: For the future of humanity

At least 680 vertebrate species have become extinct since the 16th century. According to forecasts, we could lose 40 per cent of all insects worldwide within the next few decades. 75 per cent of natural terrestrial ecosystems and around 66 per cent of marine ecosystems have already been significantly impaired or even destroyed - around 3.2 billion people are already affected by this today. "If we do not succeed in halting the catastrophic loss of biodiversity in this decade, we run the risk of losing up to one million species and failing to achieve 80 per cent of the sustainability goals and key targets of the Paris Climate Agreement," warns Prof. Dr Johannes Vogel, Director General of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, and continues: "The unchecked loss of biodiversity and increasing global warming are the challenges for the future of our society."

In the two-page "Berlin Declaration" published today under the leadership of the directors of the three Leibniz natural history museums, a broad alliance of researchers calls on Germany to make more energetic efforts to ensure the success of the World Summit on Nature. With its current G7 presidency, Germany bears a special responsibility, but at the same time has considerable potential to make decisive contributions to overcoming the "twin crisis". In order to fulfil their leadership role, the researchers propose a series of concrete measures in the "Berlin Declaration" - first and foremost "nature-based solutions". These are measures for the protection, sustainable management and restoration of natural or altered ecosystems that also benefit human well-being and biodiversity. For example, at the World Summit on Nature at the end of August, Germany is to make a strong commitment to ensuring that 30 per cent of land and sea areas are effectively protected globally by 2030 and a further 20 per cent are restored. A clear prioritisation of the sustainable protection of the most biodiverse and carbon-rich areas on earth is essential.

In addition, significantly more money must be invested in biodiversity conservation: In order to fulfil its responsibility towards the global South, Germany should, among other things, increase the "substantial" increase already agreed in the coalition agreement from the current level of around 800 million euros to at least two billion euros per year for the time being. In the medium term, eight billion euros per year are required. The international "Legacy Landscape Fund" launched by Germany in 2021 is a very powerful instrument for the sustainable protection of the world's most species- and carbon-rich areas, according to the signatories: One billion euros in additional private funds could be mobilised globally if two billion euros of public money were invested. Instead of the current seven, up to 100 large protected areas worldwide could be permanently secured for future generations. According to the "Berlin Declaration", the almost 67 billion euros in annual environmentally harmful subsidies in Germany, around 90 per cent of which are classified as harmful to the climate, could be used to finance such measures. These public funds should be used in such a way that they have a positive effect on both nature conservation and climate protection.

Prof Dr Bernhard Misof, Director at the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change: "We can only overcome the 'twin crisis' together and with nature. Synergies must be utilised. Negative effects on the other crisis must be explicitly avoided. Leading researchers and economists see 'nature-based solutions' as an economically efficient way to promote the preservation of ecosystems and renaturalisation. This protects biodiversity, which is valuable to us humans, and at the same time curbs global warming in the long term. Investments in 'nature-based solutions' generate advantages with high benefits in monetary and non-monetary terms. The protection of mangrove forests alone can prevent USD 80 billion in damage each year and protect 18 million people at the same time."

The Director General of the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung and initiator of the "Berlin Declaration", Prof. Dr Klement Tockner, summarises: "We need clear priorities for the protection and active management of nature. The scientific facts are on the table - and they are convincing! We are losing the 'libraries of nature' with biodiversity at an unprecedented rate - more than 100 times the rate of natural loss. However, there is still a lack of awareness of the problem, courage to act and decisive, effective implementation by politics, business and society. The necessary climate and biodiversity protection goals can only be achieved with a fundamental social transformation in the way we treat our natural resources. We owe it to our children, grandchildren and future generations!"

The MUSEUM FOR NATURAL SCIENCE BERLIN (MFN) is an integrated research museum of the Leibniz Association with an international reputation and a globally networked research infrastructure. As an innovative communication centre, it aims to help shape the scientific and social dialogue on the future of our planet and develop a democratic knowledge society. Teams from various disciplines research the more than 30 million artefacts in the collection on the development of the earth and life. The topics range from the development of the solar system to the mechanisms of evolution and the diversity of life on Earth. In addition, the scientific-historical, cultural and artistic significance of the objects is researched and reflected upon. Over the next ten years, the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin will consistently implement the Future Plan, which is being funded with a total of 660 million euros from the federal government and the state of Berlin. The aim of the Future Plan is to intensify the dialogue between science, business, politics and society in order to find science-based solutions for the challenges of the future.

The SENCKENBERG SOCIETY FOR NATURAL RESEARCH is an institution of the Leibniz Association and has been researching the "Earth system" worldwide for over 200 years - in the past, the present and with forecasts for the future. We conduct integrative "geobiodiversity research" with the aim of understanding nature and its infinite diversity in order to preserve and sustainably utilise it as the basis of life for future generations. Senckenberg also communicates research findings in a variety of ways, especially in the three nature museums in Frankfurt, Görlitz and Dresden. The Senckenberg Nature Museums are places of learning and wonder and serve as open platforms for democratic dialogue - inclusive, participatory and international. The Senckenberg Nature Museum in Frankfurt is part of the Senckenberg Research Institute and Nature Museum Frankfurt, one of the seven institutes of the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung.