How scientists debunked one of conservation’s most influential statistics

The factoid about biodiversity and Indigenous peoples spread around the world, but scientists say bad data can undermine the very causes it claims to support

The statistic seemed to crop up everywhere. Versions were cited at UN negotiations, on protest banners, in 186 peer-reviewed scientific papers - even by the film-maker James Cameron, while promoting his Avatar films. Exact wording varied, but the claim was this: that 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity is protected by Indigenous peoples.

When scientists investigated its origins, however, they found nothing. In September, the scientific journal Nature reported that the much-cited claim was a baseless statistic", not supported by any real data, and could jeopardise the very Indigenous-led conservation efforts it was cited in support of. Indigenous communities play essential roles" in conserving biodiversity, the comment says, but the 80% claim is simply wrong" and risks undermining their credibility.