In order to protect, or restore biodiversity, it is crucial to consider all forms of life within their entire context. The strength of NIOO-based research is that it integrates all of the different levels and scales that make up biodiversity, from genetic diversity to species diversity, from small to large organisms, from trophic interactions to communities and ecosystems, and in a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Therefore, NIOO is in the right position to make a substantial and scientifically important contribution to the societal goal of the SDGs.

We are in the midst of a climate crisis. Our climate system is undergoing a dramatic number of changes, many of which can be attributed to anthropogenic influences, including greenhouse gas emission-induced changes to global surface temperatures, precipitation, glacier mass loss, sea levels, salt intrusion, and ocean heat content.

NIOO has a vigorous and long-standing commitment to societal impact. Not only is NIOO housed in a sustainable building designed to translate our ecological principles in terms of architecture and construction, we also have a number of units that are tailor-made for disseminating our ecological knowledge to specific target groups, we have a very active outreach policy, and we actively involve citizens in our research through large-scale citizen-science projects.