Its mission is to strengthen knowledge foundations for a better policy through science for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, long-term human well-being, and sustainable development. As such, it aims to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services and the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being, and sustainable development. The platform’s activities are guided by a graphically illustrated conceptual framework of six interrelated elements of a social-ecological system that operates at various scales in time and space: nature; nature’s benefits to people; anthropogenic assets; institutions and governance systems and other indirect drivers of change; direct drivers of change; and good quality of life. A series of training modules explaining and supporting the conceptual framework has been developed by The Sub-Global Assessment Network, a community of 500+ ecosystem assessment practitioners at sub-global scales (regional, sub-regional, national, and sub-national). IPBES is placed under the auspices of four United Nations entities, UNEP, UNESCO, FAO, and UNDP, and administered by UNEP. It is hosted by the UN Campus in Bonn and currently has 124 member states.
Work programme:
Publications:
- A library of 2,500+ documents on their meetings, decisions, policies & procedures
- A library of 1,150+ Assessments, assessment reports, agreements, conceptual frameworks, glossaries, journal articles, e-learning content, etc.
- News
- HIGHLIGHTS:
- The Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration (2018, 748p., 48p. summary) – Provides a critical analysis of the state of knowledge regarding terrestrial ecosystems’ importance, drivers, status, and trends. The Report recognizes that combatting land degradation, a pervasive, systemic phenomenon occurring in all parts of the world, is an urgent priority to protect the biodiversity and ecosystem services vital to all life on Earth and to ensure human well-being. Current degradation “is negatively impacting the well-being of at least 3.2 billion people.” IPBES projects that 4 billion people will live in drylands in 2050, with decreased land productivity and socio-economic instability. The Report identifies a mix of governance options, policies, and management practices that can help support stakeholders working at all levels to reduce the negative environmental, social, and economic consequences of land degradation and to rehabilitate and restore degraded land.
- Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production (2016, 810p., 40p. summary) – Focuses on the role of native and managed pollinators, the status and trends of pollinators and pollinator-plant networks, and pollination, drivers of change, impacts on human well-being, food production in response to pollination declines and deficits and the effectiveness of responses.
Events:
- An online calendar of past and upcoming events
