According to recent research from the University of Surrey, a significant discrepancy exists between national policies aimed at boosting biodiversity and the essential behavioral changes needed at the individual and small group levels to create a noticeable impact. The study reveals that a staggering 90% of countries with biodiversity conservation policies do not outline specific actions required from individuals or groups to modify their behaviors. This gap might contribute to the stagnation observed in global conservation efforts.
As world leaders convene at this year’s United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia, a study published in Environmental Science & Policy has identified that only 11% of national biodiversity policies directly mention the imperative for personal behavioral changes to achieve effective biodiversity conservation. An even smaller fraction, merely 3%, provides detailed recommendations on creating interventions, especially those that take into account factors that affect motivation, such as reflective or automatic drivers of behavior.
To enhance the effectiveness of biodiversity policies, the researchers recommend that policies should explicitly outline the essential components of behavior change. This entails identifying specific behaviors that require alteration, designating responsible groups for these actions, and considering the factors that steer their decisions. While established methods to instigate these behavior changes exist, they are not systematically utilized in this crucial aspect of sustainability.
Dr. Melissa Marselle, a co-author of the study from the University of Surrey, stated:
“Sadly, we have developed a significant oversight in biodiversity policies. There’s a strong emphasis on significant initiatives such as resource management, yet there’s a lack of focus on everyday behaviors—such as our consumption habits—that also contribute to biodiversity decline.
“By neglecting proven behavioral science frameworks, we are losing a vital chance to conserve nature by formulating more effective biodiversity policies. Given that not one global biodiversity target was achieved in 2020, we urgently need to rectify this to meet any global biodiversity goals by the 2030 deadline.”
The researchers at Surrey reviewed 1,306 policies from the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) of ten countries. They evaluated how these policies addressed individual behavior change by applying the Behaviour Change Wheel model to assess target behaviors, desired groups, types of interventions, and policy options put forth in each initiative aimed at preserving biodiversity.
The research categorizes “individual actors” as including:
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Farmers
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Consumers
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Hunters or fishers
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Volunteers
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Local communities
Dr. Melissa Marselle further commented:
“Biodiversity loss is not merely an abstract issue for policymakers—it’s something that impacts us all. Nature underpins our lives, from the food we consume to the air we breathe, and we must take immediate action to safeguard it. If we do not quickly incorporate behavior change into biodiversity policies, we risk exacerbating environmental damage that will affect upcoming generations. Governments need to start integrating proven behavioral science tools like the Behaviour Change Wheel to assist individuals and communities in making sustainable decisions. Everyone has a part to play in this, and action is urgent.”
The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biodiversity as: “The variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.”
Collaborating partners for this study include: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Germany; University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Rouen-Normandy University, France; Ecoscope, Israel; University College London’s Centre for Behaviour Change, England.
