Last month, an article and editorial were published in Nature that framed our community as one divided into warring ideological factions, concentrated on squabbles about semantics rather than debates about substance.
Our response has demonstrated that we are anything but.
Last week, Nature published several letters that were received in response, including a joint letter from ourselves, ESP and TEEB, and a letter from IPBES alongside several others.
All letters embody the same core message; that we are committed to working together to protect and enhance the natural world, and that we welcome a diversity of opinions, terminologies and values in this mission.
Many of the leading voices in biodiversity and ecosystems research have also come forward in support of this message.
As we wrote in May: “The more diverse an ecosystem, the more resilient it will be, as it will contain many species with overlapping ecological functions that can be mutually strengthening.
When it comes to systems change, it’s clear that diversity in approach can play the same role as biological diversity plays in an ecosystem. Diversity means many different relationships, and different approaches, working in partnership to solve a common challenge.”
We look forward to continuing these conservations and strengthening the bonds that hold our community together at the Natural Capital Week in Paris this November (26 – 30).