As featured on BusinessMirror: Looking Back, Turning Forward: Reclaiming Biodiversity Before Midnight
The clock ticks on…
Earth’s history began roughly 4.5 billion years ago. Humanity has existed for barely a second on that geological clock, yet our impact has fundamentally rewritten the planet’s natural cycles. While extinction and evolution are natural forces, humanity is now driving biodiversity loss at a velocity that outpaces nature's capacity to recover. Furthermore, we have disrupted the global climate at an unprecedented rate, creating a compounding crisis where shifting temperatures and extreme weather rapidly exacerbate this ecological collapse. We are now at a threshold where our impact, if left unmanaged, risks leaving a permanent scar on a history we cannot turn back the clock on.
Observed annually on 22 May, the International Day for Biological Diversity is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of biodiversity and the urgent challenges surrounding its conservation. The observance highlights the vital role biological diversity plays in sustaining ecosystems, supporting human well-being, and enabling long-term development. Guided by the 2026 theme, “Acting Locally for Global Impact,” it emphasizes how local actions and community level conservation efforts contribute significantly to protecting global biodiversity.
Life at the Eleventh Hour
Globally, biodiversity trends exhibit growing concerns. The London School of Economics and Political Science reported that an estimated 1.2 million plant and animal species are now considered at the risk of extinction, with current extinction rates occurring roughly 10 to 1,000 times faster than natural background levels. As highlighted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), this rapid ecosystem degradation triggers a dangerous biological chain reaction—altering species distribution, disrupting the behavior of local flora and fauna, and creating thriving breeding grounds for invasive pests and diseases.
Consequently, biodiversity loss undermines essential ecosystem services such as pollination, flood control, and climate regulation, while reducing the capacity of natural systems to support livelihood and everyday human activities. For instance, UNEP warns that the degradation of coral reefs poses serious economic and social consequences, stripping away food, income, and natural protection for millions of people living along coastlines. Other ecosystems, though different in characteristics, face similar risks of collapse if these challenges remain unaddressed.
The Philippines sits at the very heart of this global challenge. As one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries, it hosts roughly 70-80% of the Earth’s plant and animal species, and the archipelago is characterized by a staggering number of endemic species found nowhere else on the planet. This natural wealth is the foundation of our survival. Forest-clad watersheds secure our drinking water and agriculture, while healthy ecosystems act as vital carbon sinks. As an archipelagic nation, our communities are concentrated near coastal areas and heavily rely on healthy marine ecosystems.
That said, the country’s biodiversity ‘richness’ is rapidly unraveling under the weight of human activity and environmental shifts. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) pinpoints five primary pressures driving this decline: habitat loss, invasive alien species, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change.
The National Copernicus Capacity Support Action Programme (CopPhil) reported that Philippine forests have been rapidly shrinking due to overexploitation, deforestation, and land conversion, and at present only covers 24% of the total land area after losing about 1.42 million hectares of tree cover in a span of 22 years. Beyond the forests, relentless overexploitation, driven by unsustainable commercial fishing and illegal wildlife trade, is draining our natural capital. Simultaneously, severe waste and agricultural pollution is choking critical marine habitats, while invasive alien species continue to outcompete and suffocate endemic flora and fauna in our ecosystems. Finally, the overarching threat of climate change acts as an aggressive multiplier, with warming oceans triggering massive coral bleaching events that directly impact our coastal ecosystems.
Local and Global Attempts for a Rewind
In response to these mounting threats, respective coordinated efforts are currently being mobilized. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released the BIOFIN Workbook 2024: Finance for Nature, which provides strategic guidance for the formulation and implementation of national Biodiversity Finance Plans aimed at closing global biodiversity funding gap. As reported by BusinessMirror, the Philippines’ BIOFIN initiative has played a key role in mobilizing both public and private investments for biodiversity conservations. Notable outcomes include increased financing for protected areas, the introduction of innovative financing approaches, and the enactment of the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) Act, which expanded the number of legislated protected areas and strengthened support for flagship conservation efforts.
The Philippines’ Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP), aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and led by the DENR-BMB, serves as a comprehensive national roadmap for biodiversity management. It enhances the country’s capacity to conserve ecosystems and address underlying threats to biodiversity. Moreover, the DENR, in partnership with private companies and conservation NGOs, launched a campaign to protect endangered Philippine species emphasizing biodiversity protection as a shared responsibility for ecosystem services, climate resilience, and disaster risk reduction.
The private sector is equally important to biodiversity preservation. Companies dependent on natural resources and ecosystem services are uniquely positioned to minimize environmental impacts. For instance, a mining company can implement regulatory-compliant initiatives like reforestation, habitat restoration, and responsible raw material sourcing. Similarly, fishing enterprises can implement waste management policies to reduce plastic, promote responsible fishing methods and educate local fishers on sustainable practices. Moving beyond compliance, these organizations can also mobilize stakeholders toward environmental stewardship and spearhead programs that foster long-term biodiversity resilience.
Nevertheless, these efforts are not without their challenges. Companies may still face funding constraints, technical expertise, and the long horizons required for measurable outcomes. This makes biodiversity investments harder to prioritize, especially compared to initiatives that generate more immediate results and impact. Additionally, complex supply chains and business operations can pose hurdles, particularly for companies operating across multiple international jurisdictions where environmental regulations may vary considerably. On the other hand, the government also faces challenges such as limited fiscal space and competing priorities, which constrain its ability to respond at scale and highlights the need for private sector and civil society support.
Consequently, corporations and financial institutions face growing expectations to address nature-related risks and opportunities arising from biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, driven by regulation, investor pressure, and emerging material risks. At the firm, we support clients in embedding nature into risk management, governance, and strategy, addressing issues such as deforestation, land use, water scarcity, and marine impacts, while identifying financing opportunities to strengthen resilience and create value. Beyond our client engagements, we actively support and collaborate with organizations that advocate this
agenda, contributing to broader efforts to promote nature-positive practices and responsible environmental oversight.
Given the brief span of our existence, humanity has made commendable strides in technology and industry. Yet the continued surge in our resource demand must be kept in check. As the hand of time turns forward, we cannot simply watch the seconds slip away. As we celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity, let us look back to our past’s richness and do our part to reverse the damage done and reclaim the biodiversity of the countless ecosystems we have disrupted. The catch — for this restoration, our remaining margin is vanishing.
On the clock ticks…
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This article is for general information purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice to a specific issue or entity. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent KPMG International or R.G. Manabat & Co.