Description of Impact(s) (English Only) An academic article published in the peer-reviewed journal 'Biological Conservation' argues that key players such as IPBES "continue to prioritise human wellbeing above all else" and that "this prioritisation may stem from an anthropocentric culture that typically considers humans to be separate from and of greater value than other species." Scientists point out that more is needed "than merely technical advances or policies that remain mired in anthropocentric assumptions"and they call for "fundamental changes in how we view and value nature and other species."

Referring to the 2019 IPBES Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the authors call the report "commendable for attempting to include a wider range of environmental worldviews and values as a basis for biodiversity conservation". Authors emphasize, however, "that its approach remains human-centered. Non-human species are still valued only instrumentally, in terms of what they can provide for us." For this, the scientists request a "shift towards ecocentrism, a moral point of view in which every species and ecosystem type is seen as having intrinsic value."

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The United Nations Development Programme in the Republic of Kazakhstan (UNDP) in the framework of the UNDP Project #00097675 "Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net) Phase II Implementation of Component I in Kazakhstan" is extending an announcement for competitive bidding.

Consultancy services are required "for the development and strengthening of institutional frameworks for implementation of the BESNet/IPBES principles in the Republic of Kazakhstan."

According to the Terms of Reference "Through this consultancy, the Project will provide support with the integration of the principles of the IPBES into the national legal frameworks, analyze the required institutional mechanisms, deliver capacity building and facilitate interactions with the local population on sustainable mechanisms for the conservation and sustainable use of land and genetic resources, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from sustainable land management practices."

Likewise, the consultant "will closely coordinate with relevant national stakeholders and key national partners to develop and mainstream principles of IPBES into relevant national institutional long-term development projects and policy documents. In the course of this support, all regulations and requirements of the IPBES should be precisely defined and explained. It should be legally appropriate, effective, and adapted to national and local conditions and should be harmonized with other national and global IPBES instruments."

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) G7 Ministers of Climate, Energy and the Environment, met on 26th–27th May 2022 in Berlin to address the multiple crises that are endangering the climate and environment and causing severe impacts on the planet, lives and livelihoods, and the next generations’ needs around the world. Through an official communiqué, the Ministers stated: "We express our deep concern regarding the triple global crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, recognising that these challenges are inextricably interlinked and mutually reinforcing, and that they are driven largely by human activity and by unsustainable patterns of consumption and production. We therefore commit to immediate, short- and medium-term action in this critical decade, leveraging the synergies between climate and biodiversity action, the clean energy transition and environmental protection, which should inform long-term transformative change". Consequently the Ministers called on "the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other relevant international science and policy panels to intensify their cooperation in this regard".

Likewise, the Ministers added: "We also highlight with concern the findings of the IPBES, indicating that around 1 million species are threatened by extinction, many within decades, and that biodiversity is declining and ecosystems are degrading faster than at any time in human history. We stress the urgency of adopting a new global biodiversity framework in 2022 and its prompt and swift implementation for halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030".

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) At the 44th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM XLIV) held in Berlin, Germany, from 24 May to 2 June 2022, the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties recognised the important role of the Antarctic region in global climate processes, welcomed the Decadal Synopsis Report on Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment (ACCE report) by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), and showed concern about the effects and projected changes to Antarctic environments resulting from climate change outlined in the Decadal Synopsis.

The ACCE report was compiled by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research from the findings presented in the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predominantly, and of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. SCAR acknowledged the contributions of all of those involved in the documents that form the basis of the synoptic report, in particular the thousands of contributors to and administrators of the IPCC and IPBES processes and the researchers whose work was cited either in those reports or in the ACCE report.

"The IPCC and IPBES reports form the substantive basis for the Antarctic and Southern Ocean synopsis compiled here. These reports, and their Summaries for Policymakers in particular, should be considered necessary background reading for full information on change that has already occurred, its attribution, and expectations for the future," states the ACCE publication.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The Nature Futures Framework developed by the IPBES Taskforce on Scenarios was applied by researchers from the Netherlands, South Africa and the USA to help develop scenarios for positive futures for stakeholders associated with the Nationaal Park Hollandse Duinen in the Netherlands

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) A case study involving the Nationaal Park Hollandse Duinen in The Netherlands has implemented the IPBES pluralistic framework for human-nature relationships to analyze how to incorporate multiple values in envisioning desirable futures. Co-designed with key stakeholders of the national park and using a participatory process, researchers engaged with the framework, which was developed by the IPBES task force on scenarios and models to catalyze the development of nature-centered scenarios.

"We integrated this Nature Futures Framework with the Three Horizons Framework in a participatory workshop process designed to bring people’s diverse relationships with nature to the fore, and jointly envision desirable futures and the pathways to get there," explained the researchers. Researchers also presented a methodology to analyze and compare the visions and assess their potential contribution to the SDGs.

"The approach successfully engaged participants in joint exploration of desirable futures for the national park based on their plural perspectives on human-nature relationships." Furthermore, researchers concluded that there is "potential for its applications to support change processes in various social-ecological contexts toward more sustainable futures for nature and people."

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change are pressing issues that burden ecosystems worldwide. The fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was organized on 9–20 May 2022 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to discuss these issues.

As part of UNCCD COP 15, BES-Net and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) hosted an event titled “Land Restoration for People and Planet: UNDP Ecosystem Restoration Promise” on 17 May in honour of the Rio Conventions Pavilion’s Land Restoration Day. UNDP reaffirmed its determination to support international and collective action through a global network of initiatives, including BES-Net, such that countries help each other build restoration capacities to scale.

UNDP representatives and speakers from Cameroon, Malawi and Kazakhstan discussed land restoration efforts in their respective countries. The messages they brought to the table grieved the land that has been lost but also reported on the inspiring work being done through the BES Solution Fund in support of the findings of IPBES's Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration.

The Cameroon team introduced the country’s land restoration efforts, observing that despite the diversity of the country’s climate, land degradation is a phenomenon that affects the entire nation. Nevertheless, Cameroon has several goals and many programmes in place to meet them to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN), particularly the protection of the country’s mangroves and the reduction of 75 per cent of the exploitation of land by agriculture.

The Malawi team shared the country’s Green Corps initiative, which targets youth to get involved in achieving LDN. The programme funds and trains young people to participate in land restoration and waste management efforts. Additionally, the programme provides the Government with opportunities to live up to its commitment of offering more employment for its youth. The programme also embodies the event’s themes of collectivity and togetherness: 45% of the youth chosen to be part of the Corps are women and, in the future, the initiative aims to achieve gender parity so that no youth who wants to participate in the programme experiences barriers due to their gender.

Finally, the Kazakhstan team discussed the impact of climate change on land degradation in the Aral Sea region. The area has seen overnight low temperatures and overall winter temperatures rising. However, researchers in Kazakhstan have recently partnered with BES-Net to investigate ways to reverse these troubling trends and return productivity to the area’s soils. The project emphasizes a grassroots approach, utilizing key insights from farmers, other land users and local knowledge holders to inform decisions and actions. Most importantly, the project is working directly with vulnerable groups and being mindful of the gendered impacts of land degradation in its work to bring LDN to the Aral Sea region.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) A new opinion piece published by The Royal Society proposes the use of the IPBES conceptual framework "to link issues and identify critical gaps in both understanding and action for pollinators." In the article, authors Jane C. Stout and Lynn V. Dicks state that using the IPBES conceptual framework "reveals the centrality of addressing the recognized indirect drivers of decline, such as patterns of global trade and demography, which are frequently overlooked in current pollinator conservation efforts". The authors use the framework to emphasize the role of people and institutions in pollinator conservation. "To reverse drivers of decline, pollinator conservation strategies must take action on institutional indirect drivers of decline. Almost none of the strategic efforts currently in place do this explicitly," write Stout and Dicks.

The opinion piece was published in the June 2022 edition (Volume 377, Issue 1853) of the journal 'Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences'. The overall theme of this edition is ‘Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes’.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) IUCN have issued guidelines for working with Indigenous & Local Knowledge (ILK) in assessments of red list species. The document builds on discussions that have taken place over the last decade between the IUCN CEESP-SSC Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group and the IUCN SSC Red List Committee and draws on experience from the IPBES ILK Approach. Indeed the IPBES Global Assessment (GA) was the first global scale assessment to engage systematically with ILK. The document refers to IPBES' work which has influenced and informed this process by IUCN. Moreover, various IPBES experts and knowledge holders have contributed to this document, including Marla R. Emery, Flore Lafaye de Micheaux and Phil Lyver.

In other words, the work of IPBES has provided a framework and approach to engage with ILK and IPLCs in scientific assessments, and this has influenced the development of these guidelines for gathering and utilizing ILK in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Ethiopia’s national ecosystem assessment, in the works since 2017 and launched in early 2022, represents an important milestone in the country’s efforts to strengthen the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services. It was guided directly by the IPBES assessment methodology.

In May 2022, the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute – which was leading the country’s assessment – and the Sub-Global Assessment Network, co-hosted a webinar celebrating Ethiopia’s assessment validation, highlighting the achievements and impact of the country’s findings to support national decision-making. Since Ethiopia’s national ecosystem assessment started, the country has been working on identifying opportunities and entry points for mainstreaming the assessment findings into the relevant policies and processes. The country will now move onto the fourth and final stage of the assessment process: the use of the assessment findings.

In line with the development of its post-2020 biodiversity framework, Ethiopia will incorporate the findings of its national ecosystem assessment into the relevant policies and processes, and implementing sectors will be assigned for the plan period of the framework. UNDP will also support Ethiopia in the use of assessment findings, through the catalytic BES Solution Fund, managed by UNDP through the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net).

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Investment firm Jupiter Asset Management has taken into account the report from the IPBES-IPCC Co-Sponsored Workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change, advising investors to understand the dynamics between climate change and biodiversity loss "to ensure coherent integration into their investment strategies." The firm points out how the report "highlights the key elements investors and policymakers should consider when incorporating biodiversity into investment processes."

"Many of the lessons learned from climate action can be directly applied to natural capital, including biodiversity," Jupiter states. "Jupiter is increasing its engagement in the area of ​​natural capital, for example by participating in collaborative actions led by the FAIRR initiative and the Investors Policy Dialogue on Deforestation (IPDD). In addition, as a signatory to the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge, Jupiter has committed to contributing to the protection and restoration of biodiversity through its financial activities and investments. Jupiter must set company-level goals by 2025 and report publicly on its progress," the firm claims.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Stating he wants to use his work "to encourage people to create a sanctuary for life on earth,” poet Anthony E. Lovell founded The One Million Poetry project, taking inspiration from the 2019 IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Through poetry and visual art, the project aims to raise awareness of the one million species at risk of extinction and tap "into the emotional power of poetry to touch people’s hearts and encourage them to take action whilst there is still time."

Lovell "founded The One Million Poetry Project in collaboration with Ingrid Lung of The Earth Agency in response to the 2019 IPBES report that identified up to 1,000,000 species were at risk of extinction from human activity. The project seeks to collaborate with other artists, conservation organisations and corporations in support of sharing the earth with all species, recognition of other species (Great Apes, Cetaceans, and Elephants to start with), and the promotion of a ‘Sanctuary Earth’ world view."

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Researchers in New Zealand have published a new study exploring the relationship between natural capital and well-being in the country. The scientists used the IPBES classification to describe the contributions coming from “natural capital,” including material, non-material, and regulating ecosystem services or nature’s contributions to people (ES/NCP).

Goal B of the initial draft of the Convention on Biological Diversity's post-2020 global biodiversity framework acknowledged that "Nature and its contributions to humans are properly accounted for and guide all relevant public and private actions." The researchers call their method "a step forward" in helping analyze the most important factors affecting the link between nature and human well-being, improving narratives about the challenges and opportunities for change for these international commitments, as well as providing a foundation for tracking progress.

The procedure was evaluated utilizing three ES/NCP, one from each major IPBES category of material, regulating, and non-material, as well as two well-being domains (subjective well-being and health status) with varying degrees of objectivity. The research concludes that "that regulating ES/NCP contributed to the six broader categories of well-being, with non-material ES/NCP contributing to health, social relations, material well-being, and environmental quality categories."

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Researchers undertook a quantitative assessment of the genetic properties of small and isolated populations considered to fall into the “insular” category. The 2019 IPBES Global Assessment emphasized the importance of formal consideration of ecosystems considered to be “insular” due to their inherent vulnerability. These insular populations are expected to suffer from lower levels of genetic diversity, particularly when they are small, and scientists undertaking this research intended to find this out.

The researchers concluded that “insularity had relatively minor effects on genetic diversity within and among populations, which points to the more important role of other factors in shaping evolutionary processes…insularity influenced genetic diversity in a study system when genetic diversity was high even in non-insular populations of the same study system—suggesting an important role for the scope’ of influences on genetic diversity.”

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) At the invitation of Irène Kälin, President of the National Council, the Swiss Academies of Sciences (a+) will hold dialogues directly with Swiss parliamentarians to brief them on the latest results of research on climate and biodiversity from IPCC and IPBES. The reports presented in detail at the Global Change Day on 12 April 2022, with the dialogue with parliamentarians set for 2 May 2022. Following publication by IPBES in July 2022 of the new Values Assessment and Sustainable Use Assessment, information sessions will also be planned. The President of the National Council will also organize a discussion at the Federal Palace.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The manifestations of biodiversity crisis, such as the decline of pollinator populations and land degradation, indicate the approaching of a critical tipping point for humanity. Biodiversity loss is reducing nature’s contributions to humanity, strongly impacting rural communities and countries dependent on agricultural production. Africa is particularly vulnerable to land degradation, with two-thirds of its land surface estimated to be already degraded to some degree, affecting at least 65 % of the entire African population.

The Francophone Africa Regional Trialogue was initially planned to bring together representatives from seven sub-Saharan African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal and Togo. It has been postponed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and representatives from these seven countries met online during the lockdown period for the Virtual Trialogue for the Community of Practice on 2–25 November 2020.

In 2022, when the health emergency subsided, planning resumed for the physical Trialogue events, as the added value of face-to-face interaction is difficult to match online. However, in some parts of the world, travel restrictions persist. A decision was therefore made to proceed with the application of the regional Trialogue methodology in one country, Cameroon, at least for this year. The next Trialogue is planned to take place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 25–27 October 2022. The Cameroon Trialogue will replace the Francophone Africa Trialogue and will focus on discussing issues related to land degradation and restoration, pollinators and the sustainable use of wild species. More information may be found here and in the attached concept note.

From 2023, subject to local circumstances, BES-Net will shift fully back to the original regional Trialogue modality and continuously promote awareness-creation and uptake of the IPBES assessments at the national and wider levels.

The reference information for the Trialogue event is compiled in the Background Document, which focuses on the status of biodiversity loss in general and specifically on land degradation and pollination in the seven target countries. The document was developed based on the IPBES Assessment findings, as well as the results of the survey carried out in the form of questionnaires or direct interviews with resource persons representing the participating countries.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Ten Finnish companies piloted the Science Based Targets Network's (SBTN) new guidelines for nature goals in 2022 as part of a pilot program led by FIBS and Sitra. The Nature targets developed by SBTN take into account lessons from the Global Assessment on the drivers of biodiversity loss and the Scenarios and Models Assessment Report which helped companies identify the various connections to biodiversity loss along their value chain. The report from the pilot programme offers insight on the adoption of SBTN Nature target guidelines by the private sector.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Researchers at the Stockholm Resilience Centre have presented ways to help city planners identify options for integrating nature within urban areas. Published in the May 2022 edition of Environmental Science & Policy, the framework led by researchers Jan Kuiper and Thomas Elmqvist responds to the development of new scenarios under the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services that focus on positive perspectives on how people and nature can prosper together. These perspectives formed the basis for the Nature Futures Framework (NFF).

Given that the NFF is not primarily looking at urban contexts, to fill this gap, the researchers colleagues developed the Urban Nature Futures Framework (UNFF) which presents three approaches to integrating nature in cities: (1) Nature for Nature Future: natural areas and biodiversity are at the core of any urban development, (2) Nature for Society Future: human needs form the basis for what ecosystem services should be prioritised, and (3) Nature as Culture Futures: how nature can help create stronger social communities, a sense of place and stewardship of nature.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) A new research study reports on findings from a first attempt at using the IPBES framework as a structured instrument for gathering stakeholder opinions during a participatory evaluation of nature, humans, and sustainability on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. This assessment was organized in the form of a participatory three-day workshop with five different groups of stakeholders – community members, resource users, conservationists, researchers, and ‘other’ (mostly tourism operators). The IPBES framework enabled the effective collection and comparison of nuanced information from a diverse group of participants

Using the IPBES framework, researchers assembled information on the state of and trends in species diversity, Nature's Contributions to People (NCP), and on the main drivers of changes in species and habitats. Additionally, researchers gathered perspectives on the needs and opportunities for the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources from the individual to the international level.

Most respondents noted decreases in the majority of Kilimanjaro's ecosystems and species as well as in nature's capacity to provide services essential to human well-being, like as food, water, and livelihoods. They also anticipated that these decreases would persist. The majority of participants concurred that land-use change was a significant factor behind these decreases. Participants identified greater education and awareness as crucial steps to reversing these trends in order to prevent a deterioration in Nature and its capacity to promote human welfare.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Organized in the form of a participatory workshop with five different groups of stakeholders, researchers have applied the IPBES conceptual framework in assessment of local perspectives on nature, people and sustainability at Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Researchers assembled information on the state of and trends in species diversity, Nature's Contributions to People (NCP), and on the main drivers of changes in species and habitats. Additionally, gathering perspectives on the needs and opportunities for the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources from the individual to the international level.

According to the researchers, "the application of the IPBES framework enabled the comparability needed for developing narratives of stakeholder visions that can help identify new pathways towards sustainability and guide planning while retaining the context-based nuances that remain unresolved with non-participatory methods." Based on this experience, researchers concluded that "the IPBES framework can be effectively adopted for the mobilization of non-academic knowledge on the relationship between nature and people and that it represents a useful methodological tool to scale up the participatory assessments of local perspectives on social–ecological systems."

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The BES-Net team convened a virtual workshop on 23 February 2022 focusing on the implementation of tangible biodiversity solutions on the ground. The event brought together more than 30 participants from Kazakhstan, Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, and Kenya representing science, policy and practice communities that BES-Net works closely with. These four countries were the first to receive the BES Solution Fund, which acts as a catalyst to implement tangible, on-the-ground biodiversity solutions with close reference to the latest evidence produced by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. The workshop provided participants with a greater understanding of engaging with diverse stakeholders, delving into innovative ideas and applying the Trialogue approach to enhance interaction among science, policy and practice communities.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The information mission of the Foreign Affairs Commitee of the French Parliament, set up in October 2019, tabled its Information Report on the Protection of Endangered Species, drawing extensively on IPBES published research, especially the IPBES Global Assessment Report.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Viet Nam’s diverse and vital ecosystems are slowly being pushed to the brink for socioeconomic development. At the launch of Viet Nam’s national ecosystem assessment in early 2022, experts emphasized the urgent need to reconcile biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection across all economic and social development policies to ensure a sustainable future for Viet Nam.

The assessment, which began in 2018, is the first of its kind in Viet Nam, establishing a sound knowledge and evidence base on biodiversity, building on the global assessment undertaken by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and IPBES assessment methodology. The assessment helps connect scientists to practitioners and policymakers in the country and will play a critical role in informing policymaking.

The findings from the assessment are currently being used for the formulation of national policies such as the National Strategy on Environment Protection (to 2030 and a vision to 2050) and the National Strategy on Biodiversity Conservation (2021–2030). They are also contributing to Viet Nam’s sixth national report to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

The assessment findings will be shared with different stakeholders, mobilizing support and action to translate its recommendations into policy and practice. To this end, Viet Nam is also one of the first countries to receive the BES Solution Fund, BES-Net’s catalytic fund for implementing tangible, evidence-based, on-the-ground biodiversity solutions. This support will go towards building visibility for the assessment and promoting key findings in decision-making.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) 50 congressmen and congresswomen of the United States House of Representatives and 350 state lawmakers from around the U.S. sent a letter to President Joe Biden encouraging the establishment of a National Biodiversity Strategy "to protect and restore nature and secure [the United States'] rich biodiversity for generations to come". Citing the Summary for Policymakers of the 2019 IPBES Global Assessment Report, the lawmakers wrote: "The global scientific consensus is that as many as one million species are at risk of extinction. Studies have shown that we are losing species and their habitats faster than ever before."

"Only through a strategic and comprehensive approach can the U.S. government help to meet the scope and scale of the biodiversity crisis and help lead the world in protecting and beginning to restore nature over the coming decade," the representatives continued.

Lawmakers urged the President to set a strategy which, as laid out in a bipartisan House Resolution, directs "federal agencies to pursue actions within existing laws and policies and identify where new ones may need to be developed to protect biodiversity," as well as addresses the "five drivers of biodiversity loss, secure and restore critical ecosystem services, promote social equity and environmental justice, and coordinate a strong national response to tackling the biodiversity crisis both at home and abroad."

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Dutch asset management firm Robeco launches positioning paper on biodiversity protection through investment and engagment, citing IPBES Global Assessment evidence. The white paper is entitled ‘Robeco’s approach to biodiversity: Towards the integration of nature-related risks, opportunities and impacts in our investments’. It has been written by specialists from across Robeco’s engagement, climate and sustainable investing research teams and will form a blueprint for future policy in this arena. Robeco also announced the creation of a new partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature Netherlands (WWF-NL) to complement existing collaborations such as the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge.

Update (21 Oct 2022): Robeco set to launch Biodiversities Equities Fund based on position paper on 31 Oct: https://www.robeco.com/en/insights/2022/10/robeco-to-launch-biodiversity-equities-fund.html

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Cameroon’s Minister of the Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDE), Hélé Pierre, opened a three-day workshop for the validation of the National Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (NBESA).

The NBESA team was carried out using the IPBES methodological approach to produce a draft of the report. The latter was submitted for analysis by the National Science-Policy Interface Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (PN-SPBES) during the review, evaluation and pre-validation phase

The workshop also enabled a review of the key messages of the NBESA’s Summary for Policymakers (SPM). Joséphine Eloundou, IPBES National Focal Point, also participated in the event. Cameroon is the third country in the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre’s (UNEP-WCMC) National Ecosystem Assessment Initiative to validate its national assessment.

Different components of the scoping exercise were discussed, including approaches to mapping stakeholders; identifying key policy questions on biodiversity and ecosystem services; and the benefits National Science-Policy Platforms can provide for decision-making and knowledge exchange. Cameroon shared its NEA process experience and imparted advice and suggestions to support country partners with their scoping process.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) is an intergovernmental organization formed by the eight Amazonian countries. Throughout 2022, ACTO is carrying out a rapid assessment, delving deeper into the results for the Amazon region of the IPBES Global and Regional (Americas) Assessments on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. The assessment follows the IPBES conceptual and methodological framework.

A scientific workshop was held on "Identifying gaps on the state of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Amazon Region." This technical meeting, which took place on 24 January 2022, brought together more than 100 researchers, including Maria Helena Zaccagnini and Jake Rice, co-chairs of the IPBES Regional Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for the Americas. The authors shared insights on information available to date andparticipated in a discussion about the added value of the ACTO rapid assessment.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The packaging company Tetra Pak publishes its 2022 Sustainability Report in which it details actions taken over the year for responsible sourcing of materials, management of value chain impact on nature ad the implementation of a nature strategy, and water consumption reduction. The company cites IPBES Global Assessment report findings as part of its rationale for the relevance of its action for nature and global food systems.
Main areas of action described for 2022 include nature impact assessment and strategy, sustainable sourcing, water management, ecosystem restoration

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Through a comprehensive analysis of field data and literature about the Andean region, identifying the current status of research and knowledge gaps, researchers have used the IPBES conceptual framework to pinpoint Nature's Contributions to the peoples of Puna in the Central Andes.

The research analyzed local trends in the capacity of nature to keep providing contributions to good quality of life from 1990 to the present. Indicators proposed by IPBES (2019) served as a reference and were adapted to the local scenario.

The research was able to identify contributions such as (1) Habitat creation and maintenance, as well as regulation of freshwater, (2) Pollination and seed dispersal, (3) Regulation of climate and air quality, (4) Formation and protection of soils and sediments, (5) Formation and protection of soils and sediments, (6) Regulation of hazards and extreme events, (7) Regulation of biological processes, pests, and diseases, and (8) Food and feed, among others.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), chaired by Michael R. Bloomberg and part of the international Financial Stability Board (FSB) established by the G20, launched a self-paced online course titled "Biodiversity-related disclosure: Understanding impacts and dependencies." Citing IPBES science and publications, particularly the five main drivers of biodiversity loss identified by the IPBES Global Assessment, the course delves into biodiversity-related corporate reporting as businesses increasingly measure, manage and disclose their organizational impacts and dependencies on biodiversity. The course aims to help participants ready their organizations by staying ahead of the risks and opportunities, helping them answer questions like "What characteristics of biodiversity require special attention from companies?" and "What should companies considering biodiversity-related disclosures do?".