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A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that organized civil society and social mobilization are key, yet often unrecognized, agents of global biodiversity conservation. By analyzing a global dataset of 2,801 socio-environmental mobilizations from the Environmental Justice Atlas (EJAtlas), the research identifies that local struggles against polluting industries are critical for protecting the planet’s most sensitive, biodiverse regions.

The research highlights a striking overlap between social activism and global conservation priorities: about 40% of all documented mobilizations occur within the top 30% of global priority lands for species conservation. These movements— that comprise Indigenous Peoples, peasant organizations, urban groups, grassroots and socio-environmental organizations—proactively and reactively challenge environmental threats from economic sectors such as mining, fossil fuels, industrial agriculture or waste management among other economic sectors.

The study "Socio-environmental mobilizations are agents of transformative change for biodiversity" examined 2,801 socio-environmental conflicts from 1992 to 2022 across 152 countries. The study, which originated as part of the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment, has been coordinated by Mariana Walter (IBEI), Victoria Reyes-García (ICREA Professor at ICTA-UAB) and Arnim Scheidel (ICTA-UAB) and conducted by an international team of researchers drawing on data from the Environmental Justice Atlas (EJAtlas).

Bridging local action and global targets

The analysis finds that socio-environmental mobilizations are instrumental in achieving international biodiversity protection and conservation goals. The actions taken by these movements contribute significantly to 13 of the 23 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), specifically those focused on ecosystem protection, restoration, and sustainable land management.

Civil society and social struggle has historically been a decisive catalyst for social change, yet its role in biodiversity has remained underexplored. "Our findings highlight that by resisting environmental degradation to defend their livelihoods and environments, these communities act as a key force for sustainability transformations," according to Arnim Scheidel, Senior Researcher at Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB).

The high price of protection

The study also uncovers a grim reality: socio-environmental mobilizations that are playing a key role protecting biodiversity tend to face higher levels of violence and criminalization.

"One-third of all documented mobilizations face repression, criminalization, or violence. Alarmingly, these repressive outcomes are even more frequent in high-priority conservation areas and the Global South, particularly in Africa and the Americas," highlighted Walter, Ramón y Cajal Researcher at the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals (IBEI).

A call for global policy shifts

To support movements and amplify the transformative potential of environmental defenders, the study identifies three critical policy leverage points. First, states and international bodies must recognize socio-environmental mobilizations as legitimate allies for conservation rather than as obstructive actors. Second, there is an urgent need to strengthen these movements by broadening their access to resources and networks of support. Finally, environmental defenders must be further protected through enhanced security protocols and the enforcement of human rights.

As stated by Reyes-García, ICREA Researcher at ICTA-UAB, "Recognizing, supporting and protecting socio-environmental movements can empower their capacity to catalyze lasting change for the benefit of both people and the planet."

Publication details

Scheidel, Arnim et al, Social movements are transformative agents for biodiversity conservation, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2513327123. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2513327123

Citation: Socio-environmental movements emerge as key global guardians of biodiversity amid rising violence (2026, January 19) retrieved 19 January 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-01-socio-environmental-movements-emerge-key.html

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