Involving consumers in biodiversity conservation

The well-informed consumer can take individual decisions benefiting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity through the choices they make in the market place.

Human beings - just one of an estimated 10 million species on the planet - are currently estimated to be consuming, wasting, or diverting 40 percent of the net photosynthetic production on land.

1. Promoting sustainable use of biodiversity
2. Changing consumption patterns

1. Revealing hidden transport component of consumer products

1. Using market forces to improve global environment
2. Implementing product-specific environmental policies
3. Developing eco-tourism business strategies for biodiversity conservation

1. Promoting green sourcing
2. Promoting community involvement in environmental protection
3. Developing national policies to change unsustainable consumption patterns

1. Concealing real costs of consumer products

1. Developing business certification schemes for biodiversity

1. Unsustainable consumption patterns
2. Resource consumption exacerbated by price distortions
3. Natural resource depletion due to high-level consumption
4. Excessive consumption of resources in industrialized countries
5. Excessive consumption of goods and services