Biodiverse ecosystems supply oxygen, clean air, and water, ensure sustainability for all life forms, and are more resilient to a changing climate or other disasters.
However, the world is currently facing a biodiversity crisis. At least 17,500 of the world’s tree species are threatened with extinction, representing almost a third of all species.
This crisis is being accelerated by well-intentioned solutions to climate change such as tree planting schemes. By promoting the planting of non-native species that displace or damage biodiversity, the approach is accelerating the extinction of species and in many cases is increasing CO2 emissions.
The Global Biodiversity Standard has been designed to to halt this crisis, to promote, protect and enhance a more biodiverse and climate resilient natural world.
A single oak tree (Quercus robur) supports the life cycles of 2,300 species of mammals, birds, insects, fungi, lichens, and other plants.
Trees define and form the major structural components of forest ecosystems that cover approximately 31% of the world’s land surface.
Forests contain about 50% of the world’s terrestrial carbon stocks and over 75% of the world’s accessible freshwater is obtained from forested catchments.
Trees provide many ecosystem services through water purification, erosion prevention, flood defence, carbon sequestration, air temperature control, and regulation of air quality.
Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is the best qualified network in the world to set up an international biodiversity standard. We are the world’s largest plant conservation and botanical network with over 650 member institutions and 60,000 experts in more than 100 countries.
As a global network, with local members specific to each country, and with access to the most comprehensive and up to date botanical data, we can ensure that the best biodiversity expertise and data is deployed to assess impacts and deliver local solutions to the global biodiversity crisis.
BGCI is an independent organisation registered in the United Kingdom as a charity (Charity Reg. No. 1098834) and a company limited by guarantee (No. 4673175).
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