Time: Thursday 21 May 16.00-17.30
Room: Stora hallen B
Session chairs: Richard Walters, BECC, Lund University; Jessica Knapp, BECC, Lund University
Session description
Two intertwined crises threaten human well-being: climate change and biodiversity loss. Human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, amplified by deforestation, habitat degradation, and biodiversity loss, are driving global temperature rises and an increasing frequency of extreme weather events, disrupting ecosystem functioning and accelerating species loss. Both crises undermine nature’s contributions to people, weakening the very foundations of climate regulation, food security, and social stability.
Despite international commitments, neither the 2011–2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets nor key milestones for limiting global warming to 1.5°C have been met. Assessments from the IPCC and IPBES underscore that current actions remain insufficient to address the interconnected challenges across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.
This session examines how integrated strategies can deliver co-benefits for nature, people, and the climate. Presentations will explore evidence on effective conservation and restoration approaches that enhance both biodiversity resilience and climate mitigation and adaptation. Speakers will highlight scientific and technological innovations, such as ecosystem-based approaches, remote sensing, and nature-based solutions, alongside the social and policy frameworks needed to scale them.
By convening researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, this session aims to identify barriers and opportunities for joint action, promoting collaboration across disciplines and sectors to confront the twin crises holistically and secure a more resilient and equitable future for both people and the planet.
Session programme
Minor changes to the programme may occur.
16:00 – Beyond reporting: The integration of climate change and biodiversity into business strategies and governance structures of Swedish firms and financial institutions Susanne Arvidsson (Lund University)
16:15 – Governing twin crises: climate and biological diversity governance in Sweden Naghmeh Nasiritousi (CSPR, Linköping University and the Swedish Institute of International Affairs)
16:30 – Grounding International Law: How Biosphere Defenders Shape a Living Earth Claudia Ituarte (Lund University)
16:45 – Landscape identity, climate change, and implications for biodiversity Thomas Beery (Kristianstad University)
17:00 – Fighting climate change and biodiversity loss – a practical example from the Scanian Landscape Foundation Emma Sandell Festin (Stiftelsen Skånska Landskap)
17:15 – Ecological Loss and Damage: Don’t lose it before it’s lost Richard J. Walters (Lund University & BECC)
Poster Highlight Presentations
- Application of a Stress-Gradient-Based Phenology Scheme in LPJ-GUESS Yuzuo Zhu (Lund University & MERGE) presented 21 May at 14:30-16:00
