Scientists Commend IPBES Global Assessment But Call for Broader Conservation Science and Policy for Ecosystem Services and Nature's Contributions to People

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."