Evaluating global interest in biodiversity and conservation

Abstract

The first target of the Convention for Biological Diversity aimed to increase public awareness towards the values of biodiversity and actions needed to conserve it - a key prerequisite for conservation support. Nevertheless, monitoring success in achieving this target is difficult. Here, we used Google search volume data to evaluate interest in biodiversity and its conservation, and investigated drivers influencing interest across countries. We found that global interest in biodiversity increased, driven mostly by interest in charismatic fauna. However, interest in conservation actions decreased since 2019, driven mostly by reduced interest towards national parks, likely due to the 2019 pandemic. Economic inequality had a negative effect on interest in biodiversity and conservation, while purchasing power had an indirect positive effect through increased education and research. We suggest that increased outreach and education efforts towards biodiversity and conservation is needed, particularly in countries with high economic inequality and weaker education systems.