6 July 2012
European Parliament Publishes Report of IPBES Briefing
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The briefing session titled "Reconnecting Science to Policy: Why?

What?

How?" brought together international, European, national and regional actors.

It was organized by the Secretariat of the European Parliament Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development.

Participants recognized that scientific research is an essential foundation for the implementation of any policy for biodiversity.

2 July 2012: At a briefing session on the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) held at the European Parliament, participants recognized that scientific research is an essential foundation for the implementation of any biodiversity policy. The report of the briefing has been published by the EP Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, and circulated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The briefing, held on 29 May 2012, in Brussels, Belgium, was chaired by Gaston Franco, Member of the European Parliament (MEP). The briefing session, titled “Reconnecting Science to Policy: Why? What? How?” brought together international, European, national and regional actors. It was organized by the Secretariat of the EP Intergroup.

The briefing report notes that the EP, in its latest report on “Our Life Insurance, Our Natural Capital: An EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020,” recognized that biodiversity deserves greater political priority. Thomas Koetz, European Commission, highlighted that discussions on the scope of IPBES’ work programme show support for the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, which he notes is mirrored by the EU’s 2020 Biodiversity Strategy.

According to the briefing report, Pierre Commenville, IUCN, noted that it is critical for IPBES to rely on knowledge produced in the conservation community. Maria Schultz, Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University, stressed that indigenous, traditional, local and scientific knowledge systems are different manifestations of valid and useful knowledge systems, which can contribute to the sustainable management of ecosystems. [IUCN Press Release] [Publication: Reconnecting Science to Policy: Why? What? How?] [Website of EP Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development]

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