Restoring nature is key to a more resilient future

At COP17 and COP31, governments must accelerate positive tipping points in energy, food and finance.

By Kirsten Schuijt, Director General, WWF International

Published 15 Oct 2026

Nature serves as humanity's essential support system; however, its rapid depletion is leaving the world increasingly susceptible to various threats. The consequences of environmental change have manifested prominently this year, including deadly heatwaves, devastating wildfires, catastrophic floods, and extended droughts. As the forecast for El Niño suggests further intensification, the risks to human populations, ecosystems, and economic stability are mounting.

These environmental shocks occur in tandem with significant declines in wildlife populations. WWF's Living Planet Report 2026 reveals a staggering 73 percent decrease in the average size of monitored wildlife populations from 1970 to 2022. The degradation of nature has increasingly become a critical issue concerning economic and national resilience, with direct implications for food and water security, public health, supply chains, and geopolitical stability.

While the situation is dire, scientific evidence provides us with reasons for optimism.

Transforming the economic systems that drive nature’s decline is not only possible, but it can also occur at a more accelerated pace than many might anticipate. Under favorable conditions, positive changes can surpass a tipping point, becoming self-reinforcing and making a more secure and resilient future not just a possibility, but a certainty.

The crucial question remains: How do we accelerate the actions necessary to trigger these tipping points and hasten the transition?

Positive tipping points and the opportunity for transformational change

When discussing tipping points from an environmental perspective, we often focus on the threats they present to crucial ecosystems, such as coral reefs or the Amazon rainforest, where ongoing degradation may become increasingly irreversible. These threats are urgent and real. Nonetheless, the dynamics surrounding tipping points can also play to our advantage.

The decline of nature can be attributed predominantly to three economic systems: the energy sector that exacerbates climate change, the global food system that contributes to habitat degradation and climate change, and the financial structures that support unsustainable practices. Achieving tipping points in these systems would lead to a rapid and positive transformation, significantly reducing detrimental impacts on both the climate and natural ecosystems. Once a threshold is reached, swift changes can occur through advancements in knowledge and technology, reducing costs and increasing accessibility while fostering shared learning experiences.

Encouragingly, signs of progress are emerging—albeit not uniformly or at the necessary scale—demonstrating that change is achievable.

Rather than lacking goals for 2030, the world faces challenges in the speed of their implementation. With frameworks like the Global Biodiversity Framework, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement already established, governments have delineated a clear pathway forward. Concentrating efforts on fully implementing these agreements will cultivate the conditions required for rapid transformational change.

The global energy sector has already experienced a tipping point, shifting away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy at an accelerating pace. Although this transition is far from complete, it exemplifies how quickly systemic change can occur, providing valuable insights for the equally pressing transformations of our food and financial systems.

Two decades ago, solar power technologies were primarily utilized in satellites and pocket calculators. Today, solar energy is frequently the most cost-effective option for new electricity generation in many countries. Affordable solar panels are now electrifying rural communities and enhancing the resilience of food and medical supply chains. The transition towards renewable technologies is advancing at a rate that would have seemed improbable just ten years ago.

Conversely, reforming the food and finance systems is proceeding more slowly, though it is equally urgent.

To approach a tipping point within the food systems, significant milestones must be achieved in adopting nature-positive food production, as well as broader shifts in consumer preferences towards healthier, more sustainable foods. Some momentum is evident with initiatives aimed at combating commodity-driven deforestation, and over 130 countries have developed national strategic plans for food system transformation. However, these commitments have yet to be translated into the necessary policies and incentives to expedite the transition.

Reforming the finance system to ensure that more funds are directed towards activities that protect and restore nature, rather than those that harm it, presents a foundational challenge. To reach this tipping point, a combination of regulatory changes, subsidy reforms, and a reevaluation of how the financial sector perceives climate and nature as material risks will be crucial. If a portion of the capital currently assigned to harmful activities were redirected toward environmental restoration, it could redefine the economic landscape of the entire transformation.

During the COP17 biodiversity and COP31 climate conferences, governments have a pivotal opportunity to unite in their efforts to accelerate the actions necessary to trigger positive tipping points, thereby enhancing resilience within societies and the global economy.

Learning from conservation success

Amid the broader narrative of declining global biodiversity, there are also compelling success stories of species recovery. Populations of green sea turtles and tigers have seen remarkable rebounds thanks to dedicated conservation efforts involving collaboration among governments, communities, and organizations.

Creating systemic change necessitates collective action from all stakeholders, including governments, businesses, financial institutions, local communities, and individuals. We understand the destination we aim to reach and the obstacles we must collectively address; our immediate task is to establish the conditions that will enable positive change to gain momentum and become self-reinforcing.

Enhancing strength and resilience within our natural support systems requires a courageous transition away from extractive and wasteful economic practices focused on short-term gains toward sustainable and regenerative systems that benefit all in the long term. The necessary goals, solutions, and pathways are available. While some setbacks may occur, scientific evidence illustrates that both nature and climate can recover, and that meaningful change can happen more swiftly than we often presume.