Biodiversity is being depleted. When species disappear, it affects much more than nature itself – our food supply, our livelihoods, vital ecosystem services, future medical breakthroughs and places for recreation are all at stake.

The loss of biodiversity is driven by several interacting forces. Habitats are being destroyed by changes in land use, climate change is putting pressure on already vulnerable species, and environmental toxins and microplastics are spreading and accumulating in animals and ecosystems.

But amid all the bad news, there is also hope. Research is developing rapidly, new knowledge is providing better tools, and international agreements and legislation are taking shape to reverse the trend. At this breakfast seminar, you will meet three researchers with different areas of expertise in biodiversity. Together, they will provide an up-to-date and nuanced picture of what has happened in recent years and what we can expect to see in the future, focusing on questions such as: How are the species we share the planet with doing? What breakthroughs and challenges do researchers see today? What is happening in policy and decision-making, and what needs to happen going forward? The event will conclude with a Q&A session.

• 08:15 Breakfast is served 
• 08:30 Seminar starts
• 09:30 Seminar ends

Panelists

• Henrik Smith, Professor, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (MGeo) and BECC member
• Allison Linnea Perrigo, Director, Lund University Botanical Garden, BECC member
• Håkan Wallander, Professor, Microbial and Functional Ecology

The seminar is organised by the strategic research area Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate (BECC), Lund University Botanical Garden, Biotech Heights, LTH and The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE).

Registration

Please register for the seminar in the link below.

10 Back, 10 Forward for Flora, Fauna and Fungi | Registration

The breakfast seminar series 10 back, 10 forward

This seminar is part of the breakfast seminar series 10 back, 10 forward during the Sustainability Week 2026. During this seminar series we explore key outcomes and future directions for some of our most pressing sustainability challenges: renewable energy, biodiversity, food systems, and climate change.

Across four events, researchers will present a historical perspective on the progress and lessons learned from the past decade for each challenge, and share their perspectives on what they hope to see unfold in the future.

Breakfast seminars

13 April: 10 back, 10 forward for the Energy Transition

14 April: 10 Back, 10 Forward for Flora, Fauna and Fungi

15 April: 10 back, 10 forward for the European food system

16 April: 10 back, 10 forward for the Climate

The seminar series is a collaboration between Lund University Sustainability Forum, BECC, Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), and The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE).

The event is part of Sustainability Week 2026, which runs between 13-18 April. Sustainability Week is an annual event in Lund organised as a joint venture by Lund University and Lund municipality. The week serves as a platform for bringing together ideas, raising public awareness and for inspiring sustainable change. 

See the full programme at the Sustainability Week webpage | hallbarhetsveckan.event.lu.se