RiffReporter

The rich diversity of life on Earth is under threat. In 2022, representatives of 190 states met at a United Nations conference to determine new global environmental protection goals for the year 2030. The outcome is uncertain: previous goals have not been achieved, so will these fare any better? Do society as a whole and representatives of policymakers and industry have enough information? What role does Germany play in the UN Conference known as “COP15”?

Despite its huge significance, the matter is largely ignored by the media, so the RiffReporter cooperative and science journalists have joined forces to set up the project “Countdown Natur”, which offers comprehensive coverage of matters related to biodiversity. The Hering-Stiftung Natur and Mensch funds the research and publication of a substantial number of contributions which aim to offer positive solutions – scenarios for the successive development of effective biodiversity protection.

1. Reporting should ensure that environmental protection and biodiversity are given the prominent platform required to raise collective awareness of them.
2. The political process related to the COP 15 conference is accompanied in a way which provides the best possible education.
3. The public should be informed about the importance of biodiversity and what individuals can do in support of biodiversity.
4. The highly diverse topic should be presented in an understandable, accessible and tangible way.
5. An international teams of researchers will report globally and nationally on problems and solutions across the biodiversity spectrum.