“World Environment Day is a reminder for us to pause and reflect on our actions and their subsequent consequences on the planet. We are living in a world where averting our eyes from the climate crisis is not an option. That’s why public and private stakeholders are setting targets to reduce their carbon emissions. But it’s not enough, we need the world to come together. And there’s real merit in this.

Here’s an interesting report that caught my eye. European Commission has decided on an ambitious proposal to become “climate-neutral” by 2050. To test this proposal in a real-world scenario, a McKinsey study has identified a “cost-optimal pathway” for relevant stakeholders to go carbon neutral. The results are interesting to say the least. It revealed that the European Union could achieve net-zero carbon emissions at “net-zero cost”. What this means is that essentially, the investments made in nature pay for themselves. This is a valuable inference. 

We certainly need to do similar studies across the globe to identify the real costs of investing in nature. My hunch is that the results will be in our favour.  Turning to nature-based solutions and a nature-positive economy is our future. Let’s not delay it, or deny it.  And the only way we can make it a reality is if we amplify the voices of nature. This is at the heart of WeNaturalists, a global ecosystem that’s bringing together nature and its people. On World Environment Day, let’s make a resolution to keep choosing nature. Again and again.”