Social movements are transformative agents for biodiversity conservation

Civil society has long been a catalyst for social change by reshaping structures, influencing values, and challenging power dynamics; however, its role in driving transformative change for biodiversity remains underexplored. To address this gap, we analyze 2,801 socio-environmental mobilizations doc...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Walter, Mariana, Scheidel, Arnim, Vadez, Clara, Del Bene, Daniela, Temper, Leah, Fanari, Eleonora, Reyes-García, Victoria
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Recursos:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10230/72588
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72588
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2513327123
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Biodiversity conservation
Environmental justice
Social movements
Transformative change
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spelling Social movements are transformative agents for biodiversity conservationWalter, MarianaScheidel, ArnimVadez, ClaraDel Bene, DanielaTemper, LeahFanari, EleonoraReyes-García, VictoriaBiodiversity conservationEnvironmental justiceSocial movementsTransformative changeCivil society has long been a catalyst for social change by reshaping structures, influencing values, and challenging power dynamics; however, its role in driving transformative change for biodiversity remains underexplored. To address this gap, we analyze 2,801 socio-environmental mobilizations documented in the Environmental Justice Atlas (EJAtlas). These mobilizations produce diverse outcomes that reveal distinct spatial, temporal, and sectoral patterns and proactively and reactively respond to environmental impacts across the globe. Notably, about 40% of these mobilizations occur within the top 30% of global priority lands for species conservation and their actions contribute to the achievement of key Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets focused on ecosystem protection, restoration, sustainable use, and inclusive spatial planning. Yet, one-third of mobilizations face repression, criminalization, or violence-pressures that are even more common in high-priority conservation areas. Moreover, mobilizations facing repressive outcomes contest environmental threats relevant for the KMGBF targets more extensively than those with progressive outcomes, underscoring the risks faced by movements driving biodiversity protection in critical regions. To amplify the transformative potential of socio-environmental mobilizations, we emphasize the importance of recognizing, strengthening, and protecting them through coordinated action among diverse social actors. By fostering collaboration and targeted resource allocation, these efforts can empower socio-environmental mobilizations to catalyze meaningful and lasting change for biodiversity conservation.We are grateful to participants of the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment, in particular Chapter 5 authors for discussions on the role of different actors in transformative change. We are also grateful to J. Martinez-Alier and L. Parks for comments to a previous version and to S. Alvarez-Fernandez and Y. Sica for statistical guidance and analysis. V.R.-G. acknowledges support by the European Research Council under an ERC Consolidator Grant (FP7-771056-LICCI). M.W. and A.S. acknowledge funding from a Ramón y Cajal research grant, Spanish Ministry of Science (RYC2020-029088-I and RYC2022-037653-I, respectively). This work contributes to ICTA-UAB "María de Maeztu" Programme for Units of Excellence of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (CEX2024-001506-M funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033).Springer2026202620262026info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/10230/72588http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2513327123https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72588reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésSustainability Science. 2026;123(4):e2513327123info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/771056Copyright © 2026 the Author(s). Published by PNAS. This open access article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND).Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:recercat.cat:10230/725882026-05-29T05:05:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Social movements are transformative agents for biodiversity conservation
title Social movements are transformative agents for biodiversity conservation
spellingShingle Social movements are transformative agents for biodiversity conservation
Walter, Mariana
Biodiversity conservation
Environmental justice
Social movements
Transformative change
title_short Social movements are transformative agents for biodiversity conservation
title_full Social movements are transformative agents for biodiversity conservation
title_fullStr Social movements are transformative agents for biodiversity conservation
title_full_unstemmed Social movements are transformative agents for biodiversity conservation
title_sort Social movements are transformative agents for biodiversity conservation
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Walter, Mariana
Scheidel, Arnim
Vadez, Clara
Del Bene, Daniela
Temper, Leah
Fanari, Eleonora
Reyes-García, Victoria
author Walter, Mariana
author_facet Walter, Mariana
Scheidel, Arnim
Vadez, Clara
Del Bene, Daniela
Temper, Leah
Fanari, Eleonora
Reyes-García, Victoria
author_role author
author2 Scheidel, Arnim
Vadez, Clara
Del Bene, Daniela
Temper, Leah
Fanari, Eleonora
Reyes-García, Victoria
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Biodiversity conservation
Environmental justice
Social movements
Transformative change
topic Biodiversity conservation
Environmental justice
Social movements
Transformative change
description Civil society has long been a catalyst for social change by reshaping structures, influencing values, and challenging power dynamics; however, its role in driving transformative change for biodiversity remains underexplored. To address this gap, we analyze 2,801 socio-environmental mobilizations documented in the Environmental Justice Atlas (EJAtlas). These mobilizations produce diverse outcomes that reveal distinct spatial, temporal, and sectoral patterns and proactively and reactively respond to environmental impacts across the globe. Notably, about 40% of these mobilizations occur within the top 30% of global priority lands for species conservation and their actions contribute to the achievement of key Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets focused on ecosystem protection, restoration, sustainable use, and inclusive spatial planning. Yet, one-third of mobilizations face repression, criminalization, or violence-pressures that are even more common in high-priority conservation areas. Moreover, mobilizations facing repressive outcomes contest environmental threats relevant for the KMGBF targets more extensively than those with progressive outcomes, underscoring the risks faced by movements driving biodiversity protection in critical regions. To amplify the transformative potential of socio-environmental mobilizations, we emphasize the importance of recognizing, strengthening, and protecting them through coordinated action among diverse social actors. By fostering collaboration and targeted resource allocation, these efforts can empower socio-environmental mobilizations to catalyze meaningful and lasting change for biodiversity conservation.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026
2026
2026
2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72588
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2513327123
https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72588
url https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72588
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2513327123
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Sustainability Science. 2026;123(4):e2513327123
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/771056
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
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dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Springer
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Springer
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
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