Chemical pollution, as one of the five key drivers of global biodiversity loss, is directly addressed in both the Kunming-Montreal Framework (Target 7) and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). However, integration of chemical considerations into biodiversity research and policy has been slow due to difficulties in predicting biodiversity impacts based on laboratory testing and exposure data, and a lack of standardized indicators and metrics suitable for different applications linking chemical pollution and biodiversity in the field. To address these challenges, we need to (i) develop efficient approaches for disentangling the individual contributions of chemicals and other drivers and (ii) establish relevant indicators and metrics of chemical pollution and biodiversity that should be both comprehensive and practicable to enable broad use by scientists, companies, and policymakers in monitoring and environmental assessments for biodiversity protection. We invite contributions from both fundamental and applied research that enhance our understanding of chemical impacts on biodiversity to guide efficient mitigation strategies. This includes, e.g., studies that investigate spatial or temporal links between pollution and biodiversity; advance mechanistic insights or model chemical impacts on biodiversity; translate ecotoxicological data into field-relevant biodiversity assessments; explore the interplay of chemical pollution with other global change drivers; and propose methodologies for assessing cumulative impacts. We seek to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among researchers, economists, and policymakers, aiming to generate actionable insights for managing chemical pollution within a broader sustainability and biodiversity conservation framework.
Chemical pollution impacts on biodiversity: Mechanisms and indicators to inform sustainability reporting and guide mitigation strategies