Moving towards a healthier future

UCL has been researching ways to improve the wellbeing of our societies and the resilience of the ecosystems and their biodiversity on which we depend.

Habitat loss, overconsumption, social inequality and climate change are some of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. To reverse this loss how can we reengineer our systems so that they work for everyone and respect planetary boundaries?

Valuing nature in government decision-making

Research co-led by Professor Georgina Mace developed a way of valuing ecosystems and natural capital as part of decision-making processes - for example shaping the UK’s 2020 Environment Bill.

Legal experts worldwide draw up ‘historic’ definition of ecocide

A panel co-chaired by UCL’s Professor Philippe Sands has drawn up a definition of a law against knowingly causing severe long-term damage to the environment.

To build a better world, stop chasing economic growth

Professor Robert Costanza writes for Nature calling for a new economy based on sustainable prosperity, justice and sufficiency.

Modern building with plants growing on it

Designing buildings that protect biodiversity

A UCL team is devising ways to encourage construction companies to consider the benefits of incorporating the natural environment within building design and project delivery.

Group of young indigenous people in forest

Indigenous Peoples to the Rescue: Saving the UN Biodiversity and Climate Talks from Themselves

Indigenous communities are at the frontline of the climate and biodiversity crisis yet they continue to be side-lined in global negotiations.

How can we eat our way to a better planet?

UCL researchers are tracking the environmental impact of food production on the environment to help industry and individuals make healthier and more sustainable choices.

Additional features

Explainer: Can climate change and biodiversity loss be tackled together? - Summary of the links between the climate and biodiversity emergencies with quotes from UCL researchers.

Macroeconomic and financial policy reforms for the green transition - Supporting central banks and ministries of finance to green private and public finance.

Experiences of a secondment to DEFRA’s Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment programme - A Blog by Alison Fairbrass, UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources Research Fellow in Natural Capital Marine and Coastal Ecosystems.

Green economy - The UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP) works closely with governments all over the world to rethink innovation and take on a market-shaping approach to the climate crisis and the green transition.

IIPP researchers outline the role governments should take to deliver global biodiversity targets - IIPP researchers warn that an increasing reliance on large-scale private finance to fund biodiversity targets poses contradictions in delivering conservation outcomes and propose public oversight of private nature-related financial mechanisms.

The complex relationships between economic inequality and biodiversity: A scoping review - 21 out of 27 studies found evidence to suggest that more unequal regions had lower levels of biodiversity, and also that wealthier areas had higher levels of biodiversity.

Opinion: Which diet will help save our planet: climatarian, flexitarian, vegetarian or vegan? - Writing in The Conversation, Professor Mark Maslin (UCL Geography) explores which “climate-friendly” diet is the most environmentally sustainable, and explains why deciding which one to choose is not as simple as we might expect.

Is the production of healthy food environmentally sustainable? - By using more land to feed growing populations, biodiversity is being lost. One team of researchers is confronting the balancing act of health and environment – and revealing the hidden global impacts of consumption.

How to bring ‘ghost ponds’ back from the dead - Digging new ponds and resurrecting old “ghost ponds” can be done by landowners to revitalise biodiversity in natural and farmland landscapes, say UCL researchers in a new how-to guide for turning degraded ponds into thriving ecosystems.