Economics of Biodiversity Review

(asked on 12th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the report The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, published on 2 February, and (2) the importance of investment in family planning and reproductive health in relation to the ecological system.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 26th April 2021

The Government welcomes the publication of the Dasgupta Review on the economics of biodiversity as a strong example of UK thought leadership on an important environmental issue with clear - but often overlooked - economic consequences. The Government will closely examine the Review's findings, call on international partners to do the same, and will respond formally to the Review in due course.

Voluntary family planning has wide-ranging benefits for individuals and societies, including supporting their resilience to climate change. Supporting people in their reproductive choices may also have a positive impact on the conservation of nature over the long term, given the role this plays in empowering women and lowering fertility rates. In this context, it is important to note that it is high income countries that have the greatest impact on the biosphere. The UK is a proud defender of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and between 2015 and 2020 reached an average of 25.3 million women and girls with modern methods of family planning per year.

Reticulating Splines