Are we missing the mark on biodiversity? 90% of countries ignore key behavior changes

There is a yawning gap between national policies to enhance biodiversity and the individual and small group behavioral changes that are critical to making a real difference, according to new research from the University of Surrey.

The study finds that 90% of countries with biodiversity conservation policies fail to specify the actions needed from individuals or groups to change their behavior. Researchers suggest this gap may explain the lack of progress on global conservation targets.

As leaders gather at this year’s United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia, a study published in Environmental Science & Policy has found that only 11% of national biodiversity policies explicitly address the critical role of individual behavior change to meaningfully deliver biodiversity conservation. Even fewer—just 3%—offer specific guidance on designing interventions, particularly those that address motivational factors like reflective or automatic motivation.

To boost the effectiveness of biodiversity policies, researchers suggest policies should clearly specify key elements of behavior change. This includes identifying the behaviors that need to change, the groups responsible for those actions, and the factors that influence their choices. Established tools and techniques exist to deliver the necessary changes in behavior but are not being systematically deployed in this key element of sustainability.

Unfortunately, we have collectively developed a major blind spot in biodiversity policies. There’s a heavy focus on grand actions such as resource management, but little attention is paid to the everyday behaviors—like what we consume—that also drive biodiversity loss.

“By not using proven behavioral science frameworks, we’re missing a crucial opportunity to save nature by creating more effective biodiversity policies. As not one global biodiversity target was met in 2020, we desperately need to change this quickly if we are going to meet any global biodiversity targets by the 2030 deadline,” says Dr. Melissa Marselle, lecturer in environmental psychology.

Surrey’s researchers analyzed 1,306 policies from the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) of 10 countries. The team then evaluated how these policies addressed individual behavior change by using the Behavior Change Wheel model to assess target behaviors, target groups, intervention types, and policy options mentioned in each policy action to conserve biodiversity.

The research defines “individual actors” as people in roles such as:

• Farmers
• Consumers
• Hunters or fishers
• Volunteers
• Local communities

“Biodiversity loss isn’t just a distant problem for policymakers—it affects every one of us. From the food we eat to the air we breathe, nature supports our daily lives, and we need to act now to protect it. If we don’t quickly integrate behavior change into biodiversity policies, we risk further environmental damage that will impact future generations.

“Governments must start using proven behavioral science tools like the Behavior Change Wheel to guide individuals and communities in making sustainable choices. We all have a role to play in this, and the time to act is now,” says Marselle.

The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biodiversity as: “The variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.”