The 11th session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Plenary launched two new assessment reports. One addresses the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food, and health (Nexus Assessment). The other explores the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, determinants of transformative change, and options for achieving the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity (Transformative Change Assessment).
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of the meeting notes that IPBES “plays a key role in bridging science and policy for informing action to combat biodiversity loss, including through the publication of assessment reports to inform decision making.”
According to ENB,key messages of the Nexus Assessment include:
- Global trends in a wide range of indirect drivers have intensified direct drivers of biodiversity loss and caused negative outcomes for biodiversity, water availability and quality, food security and nutrition, and health, and contributed to climate change;
- Nexus-wide benefits with positive outcomes for people and nature are feasible in the future, but achieving the highest levels of positive outcomes across all nexus elements is challenging;
- Synergistic response options are already available to actors in multiple sectors for sustainably managing biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate change;
- Transforming current siloed modes of governance through more integrative, inclusive, equitable, accountable, coordinated, and adaptive approaches enables successful implementation of response options; and
- Gaps in finance to meet biodiversity needs are between USD 0.3 trillion and USD 1 trillion per year, and additional investment needs to meet the SDGs most directly related to water, food, health, and climate change are at least USD 4 trillion per year.
Among key messages of the Transformative Change Assessment, ENB highlights:
- Transformative change for a just and sustainable world is urgent and necessary to address the global interconnected crises related to biodiversity loss, nature’s decline, and the projected collapse of key ecosystem functions;
- Equity and justice, pluralism and inclusion, respectful and reciprocal human-nature relationships, and adaptive learning and action guide the process of deliberate transformative change;
- Weaving together insights from diverse approaches and knowledge systems enhances strategies and actions for transformative change;
- Shifting dominant societal views and values to recognize and prioritize human-nature interconnectedness is a powerful strategy for transformative change; and
- Transformative change is system-wide, therefore, to achieve it requires a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach that engages all actors and sectors in visioning and contributing collaboratively to transformative change.
Further, delegates approved a scoping report for a second global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The ENB analysis notes that the Platform is expected to complete this assessment in 2028. It will provide valuable input to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as deliberations on a post-2030 biodiversity framework.
Delegates also adopted work plans for the following objectives: building capacity; strengthening the knowledge foundations; and policy support tools and methodologies of the rolling work programme up to 2030
ENB reports that “IPBES 11 was considered to be an unprecedentedly challenging meeting, with difficult and protracted negotiations on the Nexus Assessment in particular.” Several Member States expressed concern that “the process had suffered from a ‘loss of trust,’ [and] delegates urged each other to learn lessons from IPBES 11 so that future sessions can avoid similar dynamics.”
IPBES 11 convened from 10-16 December 2024, in Windhoek, Namibia. On 9 December, Stakeholder Day gathered scientists, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) to discuss issues on the IPBES 11 agenda. [ENB Coverage of IPBES 11]