Project MINDVAL: Shifting mindsets and valuation for nature-positive societies

Bending the curve of biodiversity loss and dealing with climate change require a different way of thinking and decision-making. We need to abandon the idea the nature exists solely for humanity and instead acknowledge that humans are part of nature. The conservation and restoration of nature should be a central point of departure in societal decision-making. The ultimate goal is a nature-positive society, in which nature and biodiversity are not exhausted, but strengthened.

This change requires actions geared towards so-called deep leverage points, in which the value of nature is recognised and appreciated. These are moments in which people and organisations really change their ways of thinking and acting.  

This involves recognising and acknowledging the different values of nature and biodiversity. Nature not only has economic, social and cultural value, but also intrinsic value, which is independent of human use. These values, regardless of whether they are measurable, must be taken into account in decisions about the production and consumption of goods and services. Policy must also be designed in such a way that it takes these diverse values into account. In addition, it is necessary for social norms and patterns of thinking to change so that a different approach to nature becomes more natural.  

In order to better understand and clearly explain the transition to a nature-positive society, within MINDVAL we work with three content-based workflows. The first workflow is about recognising and adopting diverse values of nature and biodiversity in decision-making. The second workflow is about finding evidence for leverage points that could lead to changes in mindsets and worldviews of people, organisations and governments. These two workflows run parallel and reinforce each other. The third workflow is about sharing experiences and knowledge between the other two workflows.

The workflow on nature and biodiversity values uses AI applications. This technology is used to analyse large numbers of scientific studies and thereby find more evidence for financial mechanisms that take different nature values into account. The workflow that focuses on changes in peoples' perceptions of the world uses literature research and workshops with experts. This is used to search for evidence of social changes that contribute to the restoration of biodiversity, for example through social networks and regulations.  

This triple-track approach helps to better integrate different values of nature and biodiversity into policy and decision-making. It also strengthens collaboration between different scientific disciplines. This creates a solid foundation for the transition to nature-positive societies in diverse social and geographical contexts.

Within MINDVAL, we collaborate with partners and other projects in various ways. We work with practical partners, such as software developers who contribute to the development of AI applications, and with partners who are active in regional food transitions. We also collaborate with other research projects, such as BiROFin and projects related to biodiversity credits and nature credits. Further collaborations are currently in development.