Public Lecture : Empirical Extinction Risk (In-person & Online)

Speaker: Professor Ben Groom, University of Exeter How do we measure the risk of species extinction, and how can this information guide environmental policy and investment decisions? Professor Ben Groom, Dragon Capital Chair in Biodiversity Economics at the University of Exeter, will present new research on empirical approaches to estimating species extinction risk. Drawing on more than four decades of IUCN conservation assessments, the research develops a Markov switching model to estimate the likelihood of species moving between conservation categories and ultimately becoming extinct. The research examines how extinction risks vary across different groups of species and habitats, and explores the relationship between land-use change and biodiversity loss. By linking habitat characteristics to extinction risk, the study provides a framework for estimating the biodiversity impacts of land development and identifying priority areas for conservation investment. Professor Groom is a leading environmental economist whose work has shaped international policy on biodiversity conservation, climate change, social discounting and long-term decision-making. He currently serves on the UK HM Treasury Biodiversity Working Group and has advised governments and international organisations including the UK Government, OECD, WWF, the Government of China, and the European Union. This lecture will be of interest to researchers, policymakers, students, and practitioners working on biodiversity conservation, environmental economics, climate policy, and sustainable development. Light refreshments will be provided after the event.