Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global crisis. Severe interruptions to international trade and travel are crippling economies and forcing reevaluation of economic, health, and environmental trajectories. Given that COVID-19 has triggered widespread changes in human behavior and reductions in pollution, it presents opportunities for further positive change. Lockdowns have spurred households to rethink consumer needs, making now an opportune time to promote sustainable consumer choices that will become more engrained with prolonged exposure. How we emerge from the state of lockdowns will drive a new world economy with lasting effects on global biodiversity and supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to trigger enormous effects on biodiversity and conservation outcomes. As we progress into a post–COVID-19 world, recovery strategies can be optimized to benefit biodiversity conservation and protect human health.
Pearson RM, Sievers M, McClure EC, Turschwell MP and Connolly RM (2020). COVID-19 recovery can benefit biodiversity. Science, 368, 838-839.