COVID-19 pandemic powers eco-awakening globally

Global research finds dramatic rise in numbers of people concerned about nature loss

The COVID-19 pandemic has injected fuel in the “eco-awakening” across the globe, new international research has revealed. The research conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit and commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has shown that public interest in and concern for nature rose 16% in five years since 2016. The pandemic gave this concern, dubbed as eco-awakening, a digital push. The survey report titled “An eco-wakening: Measuring global awareness, engagement and action for nature” shows a 65% increase in digital activism via Twitter with mentions of nature and biodiversity increasing from 30 million to 50 million in the last four years.