25 August 2016: The Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has released the final, laid-out versions of the Summaries for Policymakers (SPMs) of the Platform’s first two assessments adopted at the fourth Session of the IPBES Plenary in February 2016.

The SPM of the Assessment on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production provides key messages and corresponding background information on: values of pollinators and pollination; status and trends in pollinators, pollination and pollinator-dependent crop and wild plants; and drivers of change, risks and opportunities and policy management options. The assessment concludes that pollinators and pollination services are in decline as a result of human activities and climate change impacts. It also addresses controversial issues such as the impacts of pesticides, including neonicotinoids, as well as the direct and indirect effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on pollinators.

The SPM of the Methodological Assessment on Scenarios and Models of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services provides high-level messages, key findings, guidance for science and policy, and guidance for the Platform and its task forces and expert groups on the use of scenarios and models to generate robust information regarding plausible futures of biodiversity and ecosystem services for decision making. The findings and guidance cover three types of scenarios reviewed by the assessment that can be used at different stages of the policy cycle: exploratory scenarios of plausible futures; target-seeking scenarios, which can explore policy pathways towards agreed upon targets; and policy-screening scenarios, which can evaluate different policy options under consideration. The assessment provides an important methodology toolkit for decision makers and for conducting future assessments under IPBES.

The SPMs of both assessments were approved line by line during IPBES 4, which took place from 22-28 February 2016, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [IPBES Press Release on SPM of Methodological Assessment] [Publication: The Methodological Assessment Report on Scenarios and Models of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Summary for Policy Makers][Publication: The Assessment Report on Pollinators. Pollination and Food Production: Summary for Policy Makers] [IISD RS Coverage of IPBES-4 and Stakeholder Days]