One of the main causes of the ongoing loss of biodiversity worldwide is excessive resource use, particularly in more affluent regions. This leads to a significant transgression of planetary boundaries and raises questions of global justice. While mainstream sustainability strategies such as efficiency and consistency remain relevant, they do not adequately address overconsumption and the associated ecological impacts. Sufficiency – understood as aligning patterns of consumption and production with ecological limits – needs to become a central element of policymaking to effectively safeguard biodiversity and enable societal transformation.

To embed sufficiency for biodiversity in an impactful way, several key interventions are required:

(1) fostering a far-reaching cultural change, supported by positive societal visions for resource-light lifestyles and awareness-raising activities;

(2) introducing binding targets such as caps on material footprint, sector-specific reduction pathways, and broadening measurement frameworks for wellbeing that include social equity and biodiversity; 

(3) recalibrating demand-side instruments via public procurement, fiscal policies, and true cost accounting;

(4) channeling targeted investments and adapting regulatory frameworks to promote sufficiency-enabling infrastructures and business models; and

(5) committing to global responsibility in environmental and social standards, in order to prevent green colonialism and support more equitable international partnerships.

DOI: doi.org/10.19217/brs255en