Taking nature into account(ing)

The World Bank has developed a first-of-its-kind methodology to account for the value of nature in economic models. We worked with them to showcase the connection between biodiversity and economic development, the economic impacts of a collapse of ecosystems, and  “nature-smart” policies that provide the best way forward.

A picture of three copies of the report “The Economic Case for Nature”, arranged vertically like books one behind the other, on a gray background.

Making the (visual) link between nature and economics

We wanted to create a timeless and elegant design that embodied the relationship between nature and the economy. We settled on an abstracted version of an abacus, a calculating tool that has been in use since time immemorial. We added some visual connections to nature with vibrant colours and pictures, including animals, plants and the whole planet Earth.

Cover page of the Report “The Economic Case for Nature”. It displays five vertical rows with each about six circles either in solid shades of blue,or with pictures showing the same colours. The title is at the top left, the list of 12 authors at the top right, the subtitle (A global Earth-economy model to assess development policy pathways) at the bottom left and the logo of the World Bank Group is at the bottom right.

Guiding the eye through complexity

To guide the reader through the main structure, we alternated chapter colours and played around with our abacus concept to add progression dots.

The table of content laid out on two pages with a beige background. Next to the chapter names, there are small circles of alternating colours: blue and green. In the image, there are also three chapter covers: chapter 1 is blue with a large 1 in white and a vertical row of white circles above, all empty except one at the bottom to represent chapter 1. Then chapter two has a green background with two filled white dots, and chapter 3 is blue with three filled white dots.

Each chapter starts with a synthesis differentiated  from the rest through colours, borders and font sizes. Within each chapter, we emphasized the visuals (charts, maps and diagrams) with background colours and wide margins.

There is a synthesis page on the left. It features a beige shaded box that contrasts over the blank page and a thick green header containing the section’s title. The font in the shaded beige box is also slightly bigger. There are also three double pages taken from the report, presenting the general layout. Charts are located in boxes on the page, with slim green borders, they take the full width of the page. Text on the other hand only takes two thirds of the width of the page. The margins are wide and the header contains the page number and title of the section.

A matter of weight

This chart highlights a piece of previously hidden information: the population size for each region. It  gives a sense of scale, a connection to the human element. We can see the magnitude of the impact not only in terms of GDP change, but the number of people affected.

Two charts are presented side-by-side on a beige background with a slim border around them. They are blue bar charts going from right to left. The length of each bar represents the percentage change in GDP in 2030 while the width of the bar varies based on the total population by categories. The left one presents data broken down by socio-economic categories (Low income, lower middle income, Upper middle income and High income) and the right one presents the same data broken down by geographical region. Underneath both charts are 4 smaller versions that display the part of the GDP change that can be traced back to different ecosystem services.

Before

The image shows the original stacked column chart before the redesign. The columns point downard and are made up of smaller columns for each of the ecosystem services. The last column, on the right, has a grey shaded background because it is the total categories. The other column represents the different socio-economic categories.

Exploring the effects of policies and how they can be combined

The World Bank also charted a way forward by exploring “nature-smart” policy options. 

This scatterplot presents how those policy options will benefit us, both in terms of positive GDP change as well as avoid natural land loss. The challenge was to visually connect those policies together as they were often combinations of previous ones. We did this by using three colours for the basic policies, which are then re-used in the combined policy scenarios.

This image shows the seven policy scenarios from the report. The first three “basic” policy scenarios are located at the bottom, next to each other, at regular intervals. Policy scenario number 1 is in the center, scenario number 2 on the left and number 3 on the right. On a second row, above the basic scenario, there are the two combined scenarios. Scenario number 4, which is a combination of 1 and 2 is located vertically above and center of them, while scenario number 5, a combination of 1 and 3 is above and center of them. FInally, on a third row at the top, the two scenarios involving research and development appear. Scenario number 6 is a combination of scenario number 1 with research and development and is thus located vertically directly above number 1, while scenario number 7, a combination of scenario 1, 3 and research and development, is presented on the top right.

Before

This image shows the original presentation of the policy scenarios. On the left, we see a grey rectangle titled “basic policy options”, underneath are three more orange rectangles below one another with the title of the three basic policy options. To the right, we find a similar structure for the combined policies (one grey rectangle above two green ones containing the title of those policy combinaison) and another one for the combined policies with research and development.
This image shows the figure titled “ES.3”. It appears on a beige shaded background and shows three scatter plots next to each other. Each scatterplot has a x-axis representing the Avoided Land Conversation and the y-axis represents the change in GDP. The first scatterplot shows the first three “basic” scenarios, the second one shows the “combined” scenarios and the last one the “research and development” scenarios. The colour of the circles representing the basic scenarios are black (p1), green (p2) and blue (p3). The other circles are colours based on the combination of scenarios (for example, p4 is half green and half black because it combines p1 and p2). Underneath the scatter plots, a summary table with the type of policies in the rows and all the scenarios in columns summarizes which policy is included in each scenario.

Before

This image shows the original ES.3 chart before the redesign. It shows a chart with blue columns, and orange dots that are horizontally aligned with the columns. Each column represents a scenario and the column's height is based on the share of avoided land conversation while the dots’ height is based on the GDP change.

Finding the right balance to achieve our goals

Convincing the world to adopt the necessary policies is not an easy task. To make the argument, this chart shows how the economic loss caused by restrictions on land use (in red arrows in our visual) is almost entirely offset at the global level (white background) by the economic gains resulting from improved provisions of ecosystem services.

This image shows the chart titled “ES.5”. The chart appears on a beige shaded background, surrounded by a slim border. It contains 5 narrow waterfall charts next to one another. The y-axis represents the % change in 2030 real GDP, the x-axis shows 5 socio-economic categories (Low income, Lower middle income, etc.). Each waterfall is made up of a green arrow going upward for the positive impact on GDP of biodiversity ecosystem services, followed by a blue arrow that goes downward for the negative impact policy and other drivers on GDP and finally a blue column that goes from the x-axis to the tip of the red arrow to show the total net gain. The width of the blue arrow is based on the population size of that category. The last waterfall on the right has a white background to highlight the fact that it is the “global” category

Before

This image shows the figure ES.5 before the redesign. It is a stacked column chart with the % change in real GDP on the y-axis and each socio-economic category on the x-axis. Each column is made up of smaller stacked columns for each of the biodiversity ecosystem services (forestry, fisheries, etc.) in addition to policy drivers and other drivers. A thick border shows the total.

Who has the most to lose?

By reorganizing the way the data was presented in the initial visual, we were able to identify which groups had the most to lose from the implementation of each policy, a key information for the stakeholder engagement process. Moreover, with all policies displayed next to one another, we emphasize the clear benefits from investing in research and development (P6 and P7), as it increases the benefits for almost every group.

This image shows figure 18. It appears on a shaded beige background with a slim border surrounding it. It is a beeswarm plot where the y-axis is the % difference in 2021-2030 growth and the y-axis is divided in seven sections, one for each policy scenario. Each section in turn contains four smaller bee swarms where each dot is a factor of production in a country. Within each section, from left to right, the first one is the land owner, in blue, followed by the capital owner in green, the skilled laborers in cyan blue and the unskilled laborers owner in grass green.

Before

Cette image montre la figure 18 originale. Elle contient un diagramme de dispersion où l'axe des x est la différence de loyer des propriétaires fonciers 2021-2030 et l'axe des y est la différence de salaire de la main-d'œuvre non qualifiée. Chaque point représente l'un des trois scénarios de politique dans chaque pays.

Accentuate the elegance of the methodology

As mentioned, the World Bank developed a first-of-its-kind methodology to conduct this research. By breaking down each step and mapping them on a 2×2 matrix, we emphasized the elegance with which the team was able to weave together macro- and micro-level analysis while navigating between the changes occurring in the natural world and the economic impacts that it will have on us.

This image shows figure C.1. in the report. It is a diagram on a beige shaded background. The diagram is divided into four sections in a 2 by 2 matrix. Each section contains one of the models used by the World Bank to conduct this research. The diagram shows how those different models were combined with one another and what their specificities are. The upper two sections contain models focused on a macro level while the bottom two are focused on micro-level interactions. The two sections on the left contain models focused on changes in nature while the two sections on the right focus on economic changes. The diagram is read counter clockwise from the top-left (nature macro), then bottom-left (nature micro), bottom-right (economic micro), top-right (economic macro).

Before

This image shows the original figure C.1. It shows a diagram with four different columns. Each column is related to one of the models used by the World Bank in their methodology. At the top of the column, the name of the model is displayed and underneath, additional information about the model can be found.

Adding meaning to the legend

For this map displaying agro-ecological zones, we changed the colours to reflect the organization of the different zones. We then designed the legend in a grid that captures the nature of the zones in terms of their environment, humidity and growing period.

The reader can now quickly grasp how each zone relates to another. Additionally, even when the reader may not be able to distinguish between two similar colours, the added information below the grid lets them understand a zone’s environmental characteristics.

Map of the world that displays 18 agro-ecological zones, with each zone being a different colour. Tropical zones are coloured in shades of red, temperate zones in shades of green, and boreal zones in shades of blue. Lighter shades correspond to arid zones and shorter growing areas, and darker shades correspond to humid zones and longer growing periods. In the legend, these colours are arranged intentionally in a grid.

Before

World map showing 18 agro-ecological zones in different colors with no apparent link between them due to the absence of a legend. The countries are purple, blue, turquoise, green, orange, red and yellow.
Top view of the open report flat on a gray background. Each of the two pages contains a colour bar graph, which takes up most of the page.
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