According to a recent Weleda Nature Study, biodiversity is a well-known concept among Australians – and it's important to them.
However, Weleda said in a recent press release: “The images of disastrous forest fires and record-breaking floods, which we are encountering more and more often even in our latitudes, show the relationship between humans and the environment is disturbed. The drastic decline in biodiversity is just another indicator of this.”
Experts say that the preservation of biodiversity, nature conservation and climate protection go hand in hand. The Weleda Nature Study 2022 has therefore investigated the understanding of the term, as well as attitudes and commitment of the population in a representative survey in several countries worldwide. The results for Australia show the term has a broad but concrete meaning for the population, and for many, biodiversity makes important contributions to us and our environment.
To do their part in preserving biodiversity, Australian people already do a lot in their everyday lives – from following the rules of conduct in nature reserves to reducing their own packaging waste and buying regional and seasonal products. But the results also show that, for some, theoretical willingness might be greater than actual commitment. What is encouraging is that many Australian people believe that their individual actions in the area of sustainability can make a big difference.
According to the study, however, most Australians associate the term not only with (diverse) definitions, but also with benefits. For most respondents (65%), biodiversity contributes to the balance and health of ecosystems.
Other frequent associations also relate to the environment. For example, 52% state that biodiversity is important for soil and air quality. Slightly further down the list are aspects that affect us humans even more directly, such as our food supply (46%) and our health (39%).
More than a third of the Australians (38%) believe that existing biodiversity contributes to slowing down climate change, while 22% believe that biodiversity is important for peace on earth (18–29 years: 31%, 70–80 years: 18%). Only 3 out of 100 respondents think biodiversity does not contribute in any sense and is simply a fact of life.
According to Weleda, biodiversity is life insurance for us and future generations, which is why the increasing number of reports that biodiversity is declining more dramatically than ever before is alarming.
The main drivers of biodiversity loss are habitat shrinkage, resource exploitation (such as soil overuse, deforestation, or overfishing), pollution, the introduction of invasive species and climate change. From a global perspective, the key human activities for biodiversity loss are Fast Fashion and unlimited consumption.
Luckily, the report also found we already do a lot to preserve biodiversity, including:
Weleda celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. Since its founding in 1921, it has seen sustainable corporate practices as part of its responsibility and sets a good example by implementing organic farming and eco-friendly resource extraction.
Click here to find out more about Weleda and to download hi-res product imagery.
Image sources: Supplied
