'Severe global threat': How invasive plant and animal species are costing economy $423bn a year

Michael Holder
clock • 6 min read
Credit: iStock
Image:

Credit: iStock

Threat posed by invasive alien species to planet and society 'underappreciated, underestimated and often unacknowledged', according to new UN-backed report

Invasive alien species of plants, animals, and insects pose a severe, growing, and yet "underappreciated" global threat to nature, human health, and the economy that is already costing $423bn annually...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Biodiversity

Study: Woodland access in urban areas linked to reduced antidepressant use

Study: Woodland access in urban areas linked to reduced antidepressant use

'Relatively modest' investments in local greenspaces can make a real difference to people's mental health, new analysis claims

Stuart Stone
clock 24 August 2026 • 5 min read
COP17: Investment matchmaking hub to help close $278bn land restoration finance gap

COP17: Investment matchmaking hub to help close $278bn land restoration finance gap

Platform unveiled at UN talks in Mongolia aims to connect local rangeland restoration initiatives with urgently needed investors

Stuart Stone
clock 21 August 2026 • 3 min read
Over 75 per cent of UK wetlands have been destroyed - restoring them would help prevent wildfires

Over 75 per cent of UK wetlands have been destroyed - restoring them would help prevent wildfires

Far from exacerbating wildfire risks, effective rewilding can restore water to landscapes and reduce the likelihood of fires spreading

Christian Dunn, Bangor University - The Conversation
clock 21 August 2026 • 4 min read