Understanding the materiality of biodiversity tipping points and using it to enable positive action in the boardroom. (Ref:4654)

生物圈和生态系统是复杂的适应性系统，充满了相互作用的反馈回路，有时会出现临界点，即强迫的微小变化会导致系统状态的突变，难以逆转。随着全球变化，出现对生物多样性及其带来的惠益有害的临界点的风险正在升级。这一风险既包括珊瑚礁或亚马逊雨林枯死等大规模的临界点，也包括土地突然退化或鱼类种群丧失等较小规模的临界点。同样，对于退化的生态系统来说，也有可能出现生物多样性突然增加的正临界点。生物多样性的重要性是一个长期的问题。目的是探讨不确定性、自我推动的变化和不可逆转性等临界点性质如何改变对重要性（金融风险和机会）的评估。学生将进行一系列的框架案例研究应用，从固有的大规模临界点，如亚马逊雨林枯死，到可能发生在许多地方的局部临界点，如突然的土地退化，到积极的临界点，如热带森林再生的机会。目的有两个：为用于评估相关财务风险和机会的工具提供信息，并探索在董事会采取积极行动的潜力。对于后者，将制定一系列以证据为基础的临界点叙述，并对其有效性进行测试。博士学位将是跨学科的-跨越相关学科，并涉及以行动为导向的知识与J.O.合作生产。汉布罗资本管理公司。

The biosphere and ecosystems are complex adaptive systems, full of interacting feedback loops, which can sometimes exhibit tipping points where a small change in forcing causes an abrupt change in the state of the system that is hard to reverse. The risk of tipping points that are detrimental to biodiversity and the benefits we derive from it is escalating with global change. This risk includes both large-scale tipping points e.g. dieback of coral reefs or the Amazon rainforest, and smaller-scale tipping points e.g. abrupt land degradation, or loss of fish stocks. Equally for degraded ecosystems there are opportunities for positive tipping points of abrupt biodiversity gain. Businesses and finance are beginning to grapple with the financial materiality of biodiversity, but they are doing so in a linear thinking framework that has yet to incorporate the potential for tipping point changes.This PhD project will develop a framework to assess the materiality of biodiversity tipping points, e.g. in terms of the financial value of the industries dependent on the corresponding ecosystems. The aim will be to explore how the tipping point qualities of abruptness, self-propelling change and irreversibility alter the assessment of materiality (both of financial risks and opportunities). The student will undertake a series of case study applications of the framework ranging from inherently large-scale tipping points e.g. Amazon rainforest dieback, to local tipping points that may occur in many places e.g. abrupt land degradation, to opportunities for positive tipping points, e.g. tropical forest regeneration. The aim is twofold: to inform tools being used to assess associated financial risks and opportunities, and to explore the potential to enable positive action in the boardroom. For the latter, a series of evidence-based tipping points narratives will be developed, and their effectiveness tested. The PhD will be transdisciplinary - spanning relevant disciplines and involving action-oriented co-production of knowledge with J.O. Hambro capital management.