Biodiversity loss, consumption and telecoupling – Why do we need to look beyond our borders?

Authors

• Ilari E. Sääksjärvi University of Turku
• Misteli Tuominen University of Turku
• Juulia Räikkönen University of Turku

Abstract

Biodiversity loss is advancing rapidly, and the previous international goals for halting biodiversity loss have not been met. Besides protecting biodiversity within, e.g. Finland, it is essential to understand that our current way of life is causing global biodiversity loss through, for example, overconsumption. The current paper aims to increase understanding of the complex multi-level human impacts beyond our borders, resulting in significant global challenges. We discuss biodiversity loss and consumption with telecoupling, a phenomenon related to the geographical separation of consumption and production of goods and services that accelerates climate change and biodiversity loss in distant locations through international trade.