Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Description

The full report on the global state of biodiversity was presented to representatives of the (Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) members during the IPBES-7 Plenary in May 2019. At this meeting also the summary for policymakers was adopted; it contains 29 key messages and respective background information in the following areas:

• Nature and its vital contributions to people, which together embody biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are deteriorating worldwide.
• Direct and indirect drivers of change have accelerated during the past 50 years.
• Goals for conserving and sustainably using nature and achieving sustainability cannot be met by current trajectories, and goals for 2030 and beyond may only be achieved through transformative changes across economic, social, political and technological factors.
• Nature can be conserved, restored and used sustainably while simultaneously meeting other global societal goals through urgent and concerted efforts fostering transformative change.

Several of the key messages refer to climate change and climate change adaptation:

• Areas of the world projected to experience significant negative effects from global changes in climate, biodiversity, ecosystem functions and nature’s contributions to people are also home to large concentrations of indigenous peoples and many of the world’s poorest communities.
• The negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystem functions are projected to continue or worsen in many future scenarios, so that alternative scenarios and pathways are crucial, including nature-friendly climate adaptation and mitigation.
• Land-based climate change adaptation and mitigation activities can be effective and support conservation goals.
• Climate change is a direct driver that is increasingly exacerbating the impact of other drivers on nature and human well-being.
• Climate change is projected to become increasingly important as a direct driver of changes in nature and its contributions to people in the next decades. Scenarios show that meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity depends on taking into account climate change impacts in the definition of future goals and objectives.
• Nature is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, taking into consideration that the SDGs are integrated and indivisible, as well as implemented nationally, current negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems will undermine progress towards 80 per cent (35 out of 44) of the assessed targets of goals, including climate mitigation and adaptation action.

Also the background information refers to climate change issues and highlights e.g. the importance of the SGDs to climate change adaptation. This includes the building of resilient and sustainable cities and the promotion of ecosystem-based adaptation within communities.

Reference information