The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): The global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services
State completed
Start 2016-03-11
End 2019-05-04
Form updated 2023-04-19
0000-0002-7514-6878
Inputs
Members of the Bureau and Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (12)
Task: Oversaw the production of the assessment report on behalf of the IPBES Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and Bureau
Method: Overview
Compensation: volunteer
Asessment authors (145)
Task: Preparation of assessment report
Compensation: volunteer
Leading world experts in their field selected for preparing assessment by the IPBES Multidisciplinary Expert Panel
Technical support unit (2)
Task: Support for preparation of assessment
Compensation: paid
Dedicated support unit for supporting the preparation of the assessment report
The IPBES task force on indigenous and local knowledge, and participants in dialogue workshops and other activities to mobilise indigenous and local knowledge for the assessment report (50-100)
Task: Mobilisation of indigenous and local knowledge
Method: Dialogue workshops and other consultative events
Communication: Oral, written
Compensation: volunteer
Impact: Improved inclusion of indigenous and local knowledge in the assessment through among other the identification of 1200 additional sources of indigenous and local knowledge
Mobilisation of indigenous and local knowledge relevant to the assessment report in accordance with the IPBES approach for working with indigenous peoples and local communities
(link)
2022500 (USD)
Budget allocated for production of assessment in Plenary Decision IPBES/4/19 (actual expenses likely lower than budgeted sum)
(link)
10-20 % working time over the duration of the assessment for the 145 experts preparing the assessment hours
In-kind contribution from assessment authors who provided working time pro bono (total estimated value of contributions from all pro-bono work of IPBES experts in 2019 - 2020 estimated at between 5.4 -10.7 million USD)
Outputs and impacts
IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (link)
The overall scope of the global assessment is to critically assess the state of knowledge on past, present and possible future multi-scale interactions between people and nature. The assessment examines the status, trends (past and future), drivers, values and response options regarding nature (including terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine biodiversity, ecosystem structure and functioning), nature’s contributions to people (including ecosystem goods and services), and their interlinkages. The assessment also highlights thresholds, feedback, resilience, opportunities, synergies and trade-offs between different responses. The assessment furthermore analyses the contributions of biodiversity, ecosystems and their benefits to people, long-term well-being and sustainable development as expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals, recognizing the synergies and trade-offs associated with meeting multiple goals, and the coupling between the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. This analysis is undertaken in the context of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020, its 2050 Vision and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and the national biodiversity strategies and action plans.
The overall objective of the global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services is to strengthen the science-policy interface on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and ecosystem goods and services at a range of spatial scales from the local to global levels by providing the knowledge needed for informed decision-making by Governments, the private sector and civil society. The global assessment provides users (Governments, multilateral organizations, the private sector and civil society, including indigenous peoples and local communities and non-governmental organizations) with a relevant, credible, legitimate, authoritative, evidence-based, holistic and comprehensive analysis based on the current state of scientific and other knowledge systems.
The global assessment was carried out by a team of approximately 145 interdisciplinary experts over a period of approximately three years between 2016 and 2019. The assessment report is composed of the summary for policymakers together with the six chapters and some front and back matters, which will be added following the seventh session of the Plenary. The assessment report and further information is available on the IPBES website: https://www.ipbes.net/global-assessment.
The assessment was produced in accordance with the IPBES assessment process approved by the IPBES member states, available here: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7568074.