How are biodiversity and the climate crisis linked?

There are two things to consider about biodiversity and the climate crisis.

1. How does the climate crisis impact biodiversity?

The climate crisis is causing extreme weather and temperature increases.  This change in climatic conditions is increasing habitat and species losses at a rate faster than anything seen in geological history. This means that animals and plants are unable to adapt and we are in the middle of a mass extinction event.   

2. How does biodiversity impact the climate crisis?

Biodiversity can be a small part of the solution to the climate crisis. Having thriving habitats such as peat bogs, forests and healthy soil can trap carbon from the atmosphere. However we are currently creating more carbon emissions than nature can cope with and these 'nature based solutions to climate change can only help address a small part of the climate crisis. To reduce the impacts of climate change we must primarily focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

Find out more about biodiversity and the climate crisis from the natural history museum  and from the UN 

Because of the impact the climate crisis has on biodiversity one of the most important things we can do to protect the natural world is reduce carbon emissions. Visit our climate dashboard for more information about what you can do to help tackle the climate crisis or visit the WWF's carbon calculator quiz for a tailored guide to becoming a climate hero.