Brown turtle in body of water.

IPBES – a platform for the conservation of nature and its contribution to people

Last reviewed: ‎16‎ ‎February‎ ‎2024

Today more species than ever are in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future and natural ecosystems and the services they provide are deteriorating worlwide. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem services, IPBES, aims to strengthen the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by linking science and policy.

As the biodiversity equivalent to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, IPBES regularly performs knowledge assessments and develop analytical toolsand methods to strengthen the scientific basis for policy on biodiversity and ecosystem services. The national focal point for IPBES in Sweden is the Swedish EPA.  

IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body and is not subject to any other international agreements or conventions. The common goal of the 143 member nations (as of September 2023) is to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.   

IPBES functions

IPBES has six main tasks. 

  1. To assess the state of knowledge on biodiversity and nature’s contribution to people to support sustainable development. This includes assessments on socioeconomic structure and models of transformative change. 
  2. Strengthening knowledge foundations. This includes advanced work on knowledge and data access, as well as enhanced recognition and work with Indigenous and local knowledge systems.
  3. To develop capacity to engage in and use IPBES products and to strengthen the science-policy interface for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.  
  4. Supporting policy by identifying and promoting the development of policy instruments, policy support tools and methodologies.
  5. Communication and engaging to strengthen the involvement of members and stakeholders and increase the visibility of IPBES and the use of IPBES’ products.
  6. Improving the effectiveness of the platform, which includes regular internal and external reviews.

Several million species at risk of extinction – the IPBES report

In May 2019, IPBES published “IPBES Global Assessment report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services”, the first global report about the state of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The report received a lot of attention for its alarming message. The situation is described as serious – more species than ever in human history are threatened by extinction and many ecosystems are experiencing rapid negative change. Calculations show that around 1 million of today’s estimated 8 million species already face extinction – many within decades – if forceful measures are not carried out to stop the negative development.    

According to the report, there are five key direct drivers behind the loss:   

  1. Degraded and ruined habitats due to changes in land and sea use 
  2. Direct exploitation, particularly overexploitation, of organisms (such as from fishing, logging and hunting)
  3. Climate change 
  4. Pollution
  5. Invasive alien species

The underlying causes to these direct drivers are indirect drivers such as rapid human population growth, unsustainable consumption and production patterns and associated technological developments.

The assessment report describes different scenarios for the future. Only one scenario, which would require a transformative change of society across economic, social, political and technological factors, makes possible the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services through the restoration and sustainable use of ecosystems.  

The report concludes that the negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems will undermine progress in 80% of the assessed targets of the Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty, hunger, health, water, cities, climate, oceans and land  (SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 13, 14 and 15). Loss of biodiversity is therefore shown to be not only an environmental issue, but also a developmental, economic, security, social and moral issue as well. 

The report suggests a number of actions and pathways towards sustainability and to reversing the negative trends for biodiversity, including:  

  1. Fully implementing already existing global and regional environmental agreements and directives, like the Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD, and different EU directives such as the directives on habitats, water, and marine environments. 
  2. Removing perverse subsidies and incentives that are harmful to the environment. 
  3. Increasing economic incentives for behaviour with a positive impact on ecosystems.  

The IPBES Global assessment report is based on three years of work by over 400 international experts from 50 countries and draws on nearly 15,000 references, including scientific papers and government information. It is also the first global assessment ever to systematically examine and include indigenous and local knowledge, issues, and priorities. It has gone through two review processes with IPBES members, observers, and other experts. The final report covers 1,800 pages, with an additional 40-page summary for policymakers.   

The full report and its Summary for policymakers can be found on IPBES’ website (ipbes.net)

Contact

Do you want to know more about the IPBES cooperation? Send an email to Thomas Lyrholm, thomas.lyrholm@naturvardsverket.se

Other IPBES reports

In addition to the well-known global assessment report from 2019, IPBES has also published four regional assessment reports (2018) and a number of thematic and methodological reports. The regional report on Europe and Central Asia includes Sweden. It states that our way of life and an unsustainable use of land and water are leading to loss of species and threatened important ecosystem functions and services, such as pollination.

All  published assessments, as well as information on those in production, can be found at IPBES website (ipbes.net)

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Special workshops

  •   Workshop report on biodiversity and pandemics (2020) IPBES #PandemicsReport: Escaping the 'Era of Pandemics' | IPBES secretariat  
  • Motivated by the Covid-19 pandemic, an expert workshop about the connections between pandemics and loss of biodiversity was held virtually in 2020 . The report estimates that there are approximately 800,000 virus variants that could be transmitted from animals to humans. It identifies policy options to prevent new pandemics, including ways to reduce the negative effects of wildlife trade and land use changes. 
  • As biodiversity loss and climate change are interlinked crises, a joint Workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change involving experts from both IPBES and IPCC for the first time was held in 2020The report shows ways that climate change affects biodiversity and that is important to take actions that can have synergistic effects for biodiversity and mitigating climate change
    PBES-IPCC co-sponsored workshop report on biodiversity and climate change (doi.org)

Upcoming IPBES Assessment Reports 2024 and 2025

  • Nexus assessment: A thematic assessment of the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health in the context of climate change (2024) 
  • Transformative change assessment: A thematic assessment of the underlying causes of biodiversity loss and the determinants of transformative change and options for achieving the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity (2024)  
  • Business and biodiversity assessment: A methodological assessment of the impact and dependence of business on biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people (2024)  

Structure of the platform and Secretariat

IPBES is governed by a so-called plenary, an administrative bureau, and the Multidisciplinary Expert panel, MEP. The members of MEP have diverse backgrounds, and include scientists, policy experts, and representatives of different knowledge systems such as traditional systems. The secretariat of IPBES is situated in Bonn and receives support from various UN agencies, including: 

  • the UN Environment Programme, UNEP
  • the Food and Agricultural Organization of UN, FAO
  • the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO
  • the UN Development Programme, UNDP.  

Plenary meetings are usually held once every year and the economy of the platform is supported by the state members through yearly optional contributions to the trust fund.  

IPBES in a Swedish context

At the Swedish EPA, we strive to make IPBES reports and assessments available and relevant to Swedish actors by producing versions in Swedish based on IPBES results and highlighting Swedish perspectives. All the following reports include a summary in English. 

IPBES in a Nordic context

  • Biodiversity and ecosystem services in Nordic coastal ecosystems: an IPBES-like assessment  

A Nordic IPBES-like study conducted by the Nordic countries, led by Swedish EPA, and financially supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordic countries.   

The first step was the scoping study – Framing a Nordic IPBES-like study: Introductory Study including Scoping for a Nordic Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, based on IPBES methods and procedures (TemaNord report 2016:525).  

The scope of the full assessment was on biodiversity and ecosystem services, risks, and possible measures along the Nordic coastal areas. Following the IPBES reporting structure, the report’s objective was to provide scientific information in support of decision-makers and administrations in the Nordic countries.   

The final report was published by the Nordic Council of Ministers and consists of two parts:  

Contact

The national focal point, NFP, for IPBES in Sweden is the Swedish EPA through Thomas Lyrholm (from 2022). 

Email: thomas.lyrholm@naturvardsverket.se
Phone: 010-698 18 39  

All reports and up-to-date information can be found at: