The full cost of recovering all of Australia’s threatened animals and plants has been calculated for the first time.
Research led by University of Queensland and CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has estimated the annual cost to fully restore populations of 1,657 threatened terrestrial and freshwater species to be $583 billion.
Dr Josie Carwardine from CSIRO said the cost estimates offer new insights into the challenges and opportunities of reversing biodiversity decline.
“Our work shows the value of finding new ways to avoid further harm to our natural world, and the need to work toward a sustainable future where ecological health underpins economic prosperity and societal wellbeing,” Dr Carwardine said.
Read the full story on the University of Queensland website