As leaders gather at this year’s United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia, a study published in Environmental science and policy found that only 11% of national biodiversity policies explicitly address the critical role of individual behavior change in meaningfully ensuring biodiversity conservation. Even fewer — just 3% — offer specific advice on designing interventions, particularly those that address motivators such as reflective or automatic motivation.

To increase the effectiveness of biodiversity policies, researchers suggest that policies should clearly specify key elements of behavior change. This involves identifying the behaviors that need to change, the groups responsible for these actions, and the factors that influence their choices. Established tools and techniques exist to make the necessary behavioral changes, but are not systematically deployed in this key element of sustainability.

Dr Melissa Marselle, co-author of the study from the University of Surrey, said:

“Unfortunately, we have collectively developed a major blind spot in biodiversity policy. There is a strong emphasis on large-scale actions such as resource management, but little attention is paid to everyday behaviors – such as what we consume – which also lead to the loss of biodiversity.

“By not using proven behavioral science frameworks, we are missing a crucial opportunity to save nature by creating more effective biodiversity policies. As no global biodiversity targets were met in 2020, We desperately need to change this quickly if we are to meet any global biodiversity targets by 2030.”

Surrey researchers analyzed 1,306 policies from ten countries’ National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). The team then assessed how these policies addressed individual behavior change using the Behavior Change Wheel model to assess the target behaviors, target groups, types of intervention and policy options mentioned in each policy action to conserve biodiversity.

Research defines “individual actors” as people playing roles such as:

Mr. Melissa Marselle added:

“Biodiversity loss is not just a distant problem for policymakers: it affects every one of us. From the food we eat to the air we breathe, nature supports our daily lives and we must act now to protect it. If we do not quickly integrate behavior change into biodiversity policies, we risk worsening environmental damage that will impact future generations. Governments must start using biodiversity policies. proven behavioral science tools, like the Wheel of Behavior Change, to guide individuals and communities in their sustainable choices We all have a role to play in this, and the time to act is now.

The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biodiversity as: “The variability among living organisms of all origins, including, among others, 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.”

Project partners for this study include: Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, Germany; University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Rouen-Normandie University, France; Ecoscope, Israel; Center for Behavior Change at University College London, England