Description of Impact(s) (English Only) German development bank KfW will focus its 2022 Development Finance Forum on links between climate and biodiversity, using among others, findings from the joint IPBES-IPCC co-sponsored workshop on biodiversity and climate change. Experts from around the world will take part in Frankfurt from 6-7 October in a dialogue about how to bring the two challenges closer together at both the political level and at the level of implementation.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Using the IPBES apparoach of a comprehensive range of nature-based values, researchers from UNIGE and Brown University have made the case for reevaluating maligned non-native species - specifically that the contribution of some of these species can also be positive. ’’Positive impacts of non-native species are often explained as serendipitous surprises — the sort of thing that people might expect to happen every once in a while, in special circumstances,’’ says Dov Sax, a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology at Brown University. ’’Our new paper argues that the positive impacts of non-native species are neither unexpected nor rare, but instead common, important and often of large magnitude.’’ Good for people and nature.

The study borrows from a recent framework developed by IPBES, an international platform for the assessment of biodiversity and its ecosystem services, which examines the benefits of biodiversity for people and nature, and applies it to non-native species, showing the diverse, frequent and important ways that non-native species provide positive value for people and nature.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) ARD's Tagesschau - the oldest prorgamme on German public television - has published an info briefing about extinction - why people should care and what they can do about it - based largely on the findings of the IPBES Global Assessment Report

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Pennsylvania State Representative Christopher Rabb plans to introduce legislation to establish a state task force to aid the Department of Agriculture and other agencies in coming up with ways to increase the rapidly dwindling number of bees and other pollinators. "The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, an affiliated group of the United Nations, has warned that without a concerted and collaborative international effort, a large number of pollinators could face extinction, which would directly impact global food production," Rabb wrote.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is recruiting a 3-year postdoctoral research position at Aberystwyth University's Business School to value nature and woodland in the UK, Finland and Tanzania, using valuaiton concepts and methods developed in the IPBES Values Assessment.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) A new large EU project coordinated by the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE The Biodiversity Nexus - Triggering transformative change for sustainability (BIONEXT) is launching this Autumn. The project got a funding of EUR 4.1 million from the EU's research and innovation program Horizon Europe. Duration of the project is four years. Ten partners from eight European countries form the consortium. BIONEXT will develop knowledge, tools, and guidance for mainstreaming biodiversity into policy-making and provide concrete options on how to initiate, accelerate and upscale biodiversity relevant transformative change in society. BIONEXT will involve policy- and decision-makers and allow them to explore the concept of just transformative change. One of the six 'work packages' of the project will be: Knowledge and science brokerage for IPBES assessments and EU policy

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Prince Albert II of Monaco, speaking in the general debate of the 77th Session of the General Assembly of the UN (New York, 20 - 26 September 2022) said: "Monaco remains resolutely committed to environmental protection and sustainable development. In this respect, the Principality is pursuing its energy transition to achieve a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. In this respect, the latest IPBES assessment report is very clear. The tools and solutions to build a sustainable and fairer future for future generations already exist. We are the actors. A duty of solidarity is required if we are to succeed collectively in this energy transition."

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Dublin Zoo has announced the Wild Lights theme for this year is 'The Magic of Life.' It will highlight the importance of bio-diversity with colourful lanterns to emphasise the one million species of plants and animals at risk of extinction as emphasized by the IPBES Global Assessment Report.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) BNP Paribas Senior Analyst, Robert-Alexandre Poujade, Points to IPBES Work in Raising Awareness on Biodiversity Crisis Among Governments, Companies and Investors in speech at Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance and Investment (GRASFI) annual conference - focusing on importance of integrating biodiversity into assest management from the outset.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Citing IPBES' finding that over one million species are under the threat of extinction, global colour authority Pantone Color Institute (PCI), in partnership with tea brand Tealeaves, announced a new Pantone color based on the world’s oldest found pigment and meant to draw attention to biodiversity loss. With the "Pantone Color of Biodiversity," they look to support the United Nations Biodiversity endeavor, the World Biodiversity Forum, and 30x30 initiatives to protect at least 30 percent of the Earth's land and oceans by 2030.

Launched on the first day of the 2022 meeting of the UN General Assembly, the Pantone Color of Biodiversity, a bright pink hue, calls attention to the variety of species and ecosystems that underpin the health of the planet and viability of life, and the alarming rate at which the world is losing them. The color represents the evolution of biodiversity and aims to bring awareness to biodiversity loss, a rising global environmental threat. Based on pigments made from 1.1-billion-year-old marine sedimentary rocks of the Taoudeni Basin in Mauritania, West Africa, and discovered by Dr. Nur Gueneili, Pantone’s new color results from microscopic fossils of chlorophyll produced by ancient species living in an ocean that no longer exists.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership, a network of ministries and agencies across Europe that support research, has introduced two IPBES reports to Ministries and Research Agencies Across Europe, offering project examples from Biodiversa+ that illustrate how the reports might be valuable.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Published by the World Economic Forum in September 2022, the “Location Matters: Using spatial intelligence for business action on nature and climate” white paper was written collaboratively by the Forum’s Global Future Council on Nature-Based Solutions and the SPACES Coalition – a growing initiative guiding governments and business networks on how to utilise spatial intelligence to accelerate progress for nature and climate.

The paper uses findings from the IPBES Global Assessment Report, stating that "the rise in global temperature of 1.1°C since pre-industrial times is already generating record extreme heat, droughts, forest fires, flooding and sea level rise that threaten food security, water security and livelihoods." It also refers to the report by pointing out that "it is beyond doubt that both nature and climate materially affect current and future business activities."

Similarly, the report highlights the IPBES-IPCC Co-Sponsored Workshop: Biodiversity and Climate Change – Scientific outcome, by pointing out that "while often viewed in silos, the nature and climate crises are fundamentally interconnected. To address them effectively requires integrated, urgent and concerted action".

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) A new briefing paper by the World Economic Forum cites the 2019 IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, mentioning in its introduction that "Human activity is eroding the world’s ecological foundations. Over 1 million species are at risk of extinction, one third of the world’s topsoil has been degraded, forest fires are now more extensive and destructive than at any time in the past 10,000 years and 50% of the world’s coral reefs are destroyed."

The paper, titled “Biodiversity Credits: Unlocking Financial Markets for Nature-Positive Outcomes,” is the output of past months’ deliberation with the Working Group on Biodiversity Credits. The paper points out that biodiversity credits are part of a company’s nature-positive journey –an investment in nature’s recovery, rather than an offset for damages.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The first Children and Young People's Assembly on Biodiversity Loss was was convened between September and November 2022. 35 Irish children aged 7-17 were selected to explore, discuss and create calls to action on how to protect and restore biodiversity in Ireland.

The Assembly's work was organised under 5 Theme Groups, each specialised in a key driver of biodiversity loss as listed in the IPBES Global Assessment: habitat loss, climate change, invasive species, overexploitation and pollution. Across the five theme groups, Assembly members created over 100 calls to action, later consolidated into 6 key messages and 58 calls to action under a common vision: " an Ireland where we are connected to and care for the rights of nature (and each other) so that Biodiversity is restored and protected and we live and grow up in healthy, clean and fair environments."

The vision statement, key messages and calls to action were presented to the Citizen's Assembly on Biodiversity Loss on 5 November 2022

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Yves Verilhac, director general of the LPO (League for the Protection of Birds) argues against the new French Renewable Energy Acceleration Bill saying: "“How can we go and put wind power in protected natural sites, Natura 2000 sites, migration corridors? IPBES (UN biodiversity experts) says that the artificialization of environments is the first cause of the collapse of biodiversity. But what are we proposing? To go and put photovoltaic panels full field in sectors where it was impossible before, by derogating from the mountain law, the coastal law, etc. The best allies of renewable energies, like the LPO, are dropping out. It's indefensible". Specifically he argues that the Bill is a "purely sectoral" project which "completely forgets the issues of biodiversity". This is direct refrence to the finding of the IPBES Global Assessment that land-use change is the most important driver of global biodiversity loss - and indirect reference to the finding of the IPBES-IPCC Joint workshop on biodiversity and climate change that actions to address these crises must be taken together or risk making the other worse.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Through an initial contribution of EUR 50 million from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) via Germany's International Climate Initiative (IKI), the Nature for Health (N4H) Initiative has been launched to prevent future pandemics by fostering locally developed and integrated approaches to secure the health of people, animals and the environment. The initiative was partly based on the findings of the IPBES Workshop Report on Biodiversity and Pandemics, and was mentioned by Minister Steffie Lemke at the opening ceremony of #IPBES9 in Bonn in July 2022. N4H brings together the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and EcoHealth Alliance.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The Journal Biodiversity and Conservation has launched a call for submission of paper to be published in a special edtion in late 2023 - ahead of the 10th session of the IPBES Plenary - to contrinbute to the work of IPBES on transformative change and later to be synthesized with the IPBES Transformative Change assessment report.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) To mark Indigenous Peoples Day, BES-Net has used key messages from the IPBES Land Degradation Assessement to create and promote two infographic posters to raise awareness about issues of land restoration and indigenous peoples

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The Lancet Planetary Health Journal issued an editorial responding to the release of the IPBES Sustainable Use of Wild Species Assessment Report, making the link to the importance of a planetary health perspective in contributing to the fuller accounting of the values of nature.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) IPBES has been "instrumental" in the development of a new manual for decision-makers, managers and stakeholders of African biosphere reserves, and beyond, according to António Abreu, Director of UNESCO's Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences. "Filling a gap in the Man and the Biosphere community and beyond, [the] manual [provides] its readers with the necessary tools and knowledge to engage their communities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," states the publication.

Funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office, "Guidance for the assessment of ecosystem services in African Biosphere Reserves: a way forward to sustainable development," was developed based on a cooperation between UNESCO and the Capacities for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development (CEBIOS) programme of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science. "For the first time, a specific, user-friendly manual dedicated to assess ecosystem services was created for biosphere reserve managers and decision-makers, and adapted to the African biosphere reserve context."

Building on several IPBES reports, as well as its Conceptual Framework, the manual highlights how the 2019 IPBES Global Assessment underlines "the need for improved understanding of the interactions between ecosystem services and the goals and targets to end poverty and hunger and to enhance people’s well-being."

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) British MP, Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party) used the findings of the IPBES Values Assessment in a House of Commons debate on Protecting and Restoring Nature in Advance of CBD COP15 and Beyond to crticise the Government for having moved away from wildlife protecion conditions for farm subsidies in England "in favour of sheer food production capacity"

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) A debate was held on 14 July 2022 in the UK House of Commons on “Protecting and restoring nature at COP15 and beyond.” As a core part of the “debate pack,” three IPBES assessments - the IPBES Assessment Report on the Diverse Values and Valuation of Nature, the IPBES Sustainable Use of Wild Species Assessment, and the IPBES Global Assessment - were included as background information for the lawmakers' discussion.

During the debate, MP Barry Gardiner stated: "Exponential growth within a finite system leads to collapse, and that is what is happening—collapse. We know it is happening. Only last weekend, as I was in Durham, the IPBES report set out again what we already know: the global rate of species extinction is between 10 to 100 times higher than the average rate over the past 10 million years."

MP Deidre Brock also added: "The IPBES—Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services—assessment report on the diverse values and valuation of nature, released this week, bears stark witness to the catastrophic extent to which humans are overexploiting wild species and habitats, and concludes that a key driver of biodiversity loss is the failure of national Governments to include nature and wildlife as a consideration in their decision making. It also found that where nature has been considered, it has been primarily for its economically productive aspects, such as food production."

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The United States State Department has welcomed the IPBES Values Assessment and indicated that the Report will advance US effrots to give voice to those who are often excluded from decision-making, but who are closest to nature, including indigenous peoples and local communities, and to promote gender and intergenerational equity.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) The Newcastle City Council (UK) passed a motion declaring a biodiversity emergency - in direct response to the findings of the IPBES Global Assessment Report and the call to make a difference at every level from local to global. The Council requires the Cabinet to implement a series of specific local measures in order to prevent further biodiversity loss.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) A group of experts convened to discuss using the Nature Futures Framework developed by the IPBES Task Force on Scenarios and Models as a tool to inform management in social-ecological systems facing climate change. The research focused on 3 illustrative case studies from the global South across a range of climate change impacts at different ecological levels.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Training of willing French newly elected MPs on their first day in office on the joint issues of climate change and biodiversity loss, building on the outcomes of IPBES and IPCC work. This is meant to inform the elaboration and review process of laws in the field of climate change attenuation and adaptation, biodiversity protection but also agriculture, among other.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) 25 scientists from the IPCC, IPBES, HCC and IDDRI visit the French National Assembly in order to train newly elected MEPs on climate and biodiversity.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Catalan Observatory of Natural Heritage and Biodiversity established, linking the Autonomous Catalan Government (Spain) with research organizations , NGOs and other bodies as a science policy interface. The organisation aims to become a reference point at the subnational level for IPBES work in Catalonia.

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) "Renewable energy generation and ecological restoration are critical tools to combat climate change. Climate change and biodiversity loss should be tackled together," according to Eurelectric when launching its “Power Plant” project at its Power Summit held in Brussels in June 2022. Eurelectric – the 3500-member strong federation of the European electricity industry – aims to "lead Europe’s energy transition with clean electricity."

In response to the IPBES-IPCC Co-Sponsored Workshop Report, the association claims it is exploring "the potential of limiting global warming while protecting biodiversity" by working with "leading utilities – including frontrunners aiming to be net contributors to biodiversity – as well as civil society, to identify best practices while deploying renewable energy and restoring nature." The project explores synergies (and proposes solutions) for biodiversity protection/restoration and solar, wind and hydro electric power, as well as electrical grids & storage.

According to the association: "Electrification, supported by a massive rollout of renewables, can break the cycle of degradation, and help regenerate biodiversity...Power Plant illustrates how the electricity industry can support the natural world and regenerate biodiversity through integrated renewable energy projects."

Description of Impact(s) (English Only) Writing in the journal BioScience, researchers draw on the report of the first IPBES-IPCC Joint Workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change to explore how transformative governance of complex biodiversity–climate–society interactions can be achieved.