The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has launched a report on invasive alien species (IAS) and their control. Delegates also agreed to prepare a second global biodiversity assessment and methodological assessments on monitoring biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people and on biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning and ecological connectivity.

By publishing assessment reports “that inform decision making at various governance levels,” IPBES plays a key role in tackling the drivers of biodiversity loss for transformative change.

The tenth session of the IPBES Plenary (IPBES 10) convened in Bonn, Germany, from 28 August to 2 September 2023. The Stakeholder Day on 27 August facilitated an exchange of views among scientists, Indigenous and local communities, and civil society on the issues on the IPBES 10 agenda. Decisions taken at IPBES 10 aim to inform implementation and monitoring of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and contribute to tracking progress on the SDGs.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of IPBES 10 notes that with biodiversity in rapid decline around the world, many species of plants and animals are at risk of extinction. According to the ENB analysis of the meeting, “IAS have been a driver for 60%, and the only driver for 16%, of documented plant and animal extinctions at the global level.” IAS, changes in land- and sea-use, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, and pollution are the five direct drivers of biodiversity loss.

Among key messages of the IAS report, ENB highlights:

• People and nature are seriously threatened by IAS in all regions of the world, with implications for the economy, food and water security, human health, and good quality of life in general, augmenting global inequities;
• IAS-related threats are increasing markedly in all regions of the world;
• Management of biological invasions can reduce the number and impact of IAS, including initiatives on prevention and preparedness, eradication, containment and control, and adaptive management;
• Integrated governance can limit the global problem of IAS and achieve progress through: closer collaboration and coordination across sectors and countries; open and interoperable information systems to improve coordination and effectiveness; and increasing public awareness, engagement, and capacity building; and
• The GBF offers an opportunity to update national frameworks to prevent and control IAS, which will contribute to achieving many GBF goals and several SDGs.

Another issue IPBES 10 addressed was collaboration between the Platform and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – a “notoriously hard nut to crack,” according to “an observer who nevertheless hoped that things might improve during the IPCC’s seventh assessment cycle, which has just begun under new leadership.”

In addition, delegates elected David Obura (Kenya) as the next IPBES Chair and accepted Namibia’s offer to host IPBES 11 in December 2024. They adopted the terms of reference for the midterm review of the 2030 rolling work programme and of the task forces on capacity building, knowledge and data, Indigenous and local knowledge, and scenarios and models of biodiversity and ecosystem services. [ENB Coverage of 10th Session of the IPBES Plenary and Stakeholder Day]