$11.5 trillion has already been earmarked for COVID-19 stimulus packages globally and trillions more will need to be spent over the course of a long recovery. This presents a unique opportunity to integrate nature into economies “in a way that delivers good jobs, new sources of economic value and the natural capital needed for public health and societal resilience.”
The World Economic Forum proposes a stimulus program that directs spending toward nature-positive opportunities. This must be combined with strong safeguards for living in harmony with nature and ensuring equity of access and outcomes to all if we want to drive permanent change.
A stimulus program focused on 1) protecting and restoring nature, 2) driving resource productivity, and 3) scaling up new, regenerative value chains could set the policy and regulatory frameworks to create up to 395 million jobs over the next decade, restore the stock of natural capital, and benefit human health.
