Current global response insufficient;
'Transformative changes' needed to restore and protect nature;
Opposition from vested interests can be overcome for public good
Nigh comprehensive cess of its kind;
1,000,000 species threatened with extinction

PARIS, 6 May – Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in homo history – and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with grave impacts on people around the world now likely, warns a landmark new report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the summary of which was approved at the 7th session of the IPBES Plenary, coming together last week (29 April – 4 May) in Paris.

"The overwhelming evidence of the IPBES Global Assessment, from a broad range of dissimilar fields of knowledge, presents an ominous picture," said IPBES Chair, Sir Robert Watson. "The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than always. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, nutrient security, health and quality of life worldwide."

"The Report besides tells us that it is non too late to brand a departure, only only if we outset now at every level from local to global," he said. "Through 'transformative alter', nature can however be conserved, restored and used sustainably – this is also fundamental to meeting most other global goals. By transformative change, we hateful a fundamental, organisation-broad reorganization across technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values."

"The member States of IPBES Plenary have now acknowledged that, by its very nature, transformative modify can expect opposition from those with interests vested in the status quo, but also that such opposition tin can exist overcome for the broader public good," Watson said.

The IPBES Global Assessment Written report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services is the most comprehensive ever completed. It is the first intergovernmental Report of its kind and builds on the landmark Millennium Ecosystem Cess of 2005, introducing innovative ways of evaluating show.

Compiled by 145 practiced authors from l countries over the by iii years, with inputs from another 310 contributing authors, the Study assesses changes over the past five decades, providing a comprehensive moving picture of the relationship between economic development pathways and their impacts on nature. It also offers a range of possible scenarios for the coming decades.

Based on the systematic review of about 15,000 scientific and government sources, the Report also draws (for the first time ever at this calibration) on indigenous and local knowledge, particularly addressing issues relevant to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

"Biodiversity and nature's contributions to people are our mutual heritage and humanity's most of import life-supporting 'prophylactic net'. But our safety internet is stretched near to breaking indicate," said Prof. Sandra Díaz (Argentina), who co-chaired the Cess with Prof. Josef Settele (Federal republic of germany) and Prof. Eduardo South. Brondízio (Brazil and USA).

"The variety within species, between species and of ecosystems, every bit well as many fundamental contributions nosotros derive from nature, are declining fast, although nosotros all the same have the means to ensure a sustainable time to come for people and the planet."

The Report finds that effectually 1 1000000 animate being and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades, more e'er before in man history.

The boilerplate affluence of native species in almost major land-based habitats has fallen by at least twenty%, mostly since 1900. More than 40% of amphibian species, almost 33% of reef-forming corals and more than than a third of all marine mammals are threatened. The moving-picture show is less clear for insect species, simply available show supports a tentative estimate of x% being threatened. At to the lowest degree 680 vertebrate species had been driven to extinction since the 16th century and more than 9% of all domesticated breeds of mammals used for nutrient and agriculture had become extinct past 2016, with at to the lowest degree 1,000 more breeds yet threatened.

"Ecosystems, species, wild populations, local varieties and breeds of domesticated plants and animals are shrinking, deteriorating or vanishing. The essential, interconnected web of life on World is getting smaller and increasingly frayed," said Prof. Settele. "This loss is a straight result of human activeness and constitutes a directly threat to human being well-being in all regions of the world."

To increment the policy-relevance of the Study, the assessment's authors take ranked, for the first time at this calibration and based on a thorough assay of the available evidence, the 5 direct drivers of change in nature with the largest relative global impacts and then far. These culprits are, in descending order: (1) changes in land and bounding main use; (2) directly exploitation of organisms; (3) climate change; (iv) pollution and (5) invasive conflicting species.

The Report notes that, since 1980, greenhouse gas emissions have doubled, raising average global temperatures by at least 0.7 degrees Celsius – with climate change already impacting nature from the level of ecosystems to that of genetics – impacts expected to increase over the coming decades, in some cases surpassing the bear upon of land and sea utilise alter and other drivers.

Despite progress to conserve nature and implement policies, the Report also finds that global goals for conserving and sustainably using nature and achieving sustainability cannot be met by current trajectories, and goals for 2030 and beyond may just be achieved through transformative changes beyond economic, social, political and technological factors. With good progress on components of only iv of the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, it is likely that almost volition be missed by the 2020 deadline. Current negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems will undermine progress towards lxxx% (35 out of 44) of the assessed targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, related to poverty, hunger, health, water, cities, climate, oceans and land (SDGs 1, 2, iii, half-dozen, 11, 13, 14 and fifteen). Loss of biodiversity is therefore shown to be not but an ecology outcome, just too a developmental, economical, security, social and moral issue also.

"To better understand and, more importantly, to accost the master causes of damage to biodiversity and nature's contributions to people, we need to sympathise the history and global interconnection of complex demographic and economic indirect drivers of change, likewise equally the social values that underpin them," said Prof. Brondízio. "Key indirect drivers include increased population and per capita consumption; technological innovation, which in some cases has lowered and in other cases increased the harm to nature; and, critically, problems of governance and accountability. A pattern that emerges is one of global interconnectivity and 'telecoupling' – with resource extraction and production oftentimes occurring in one role of the world to satisfy the needs of distant consumers in other regions."

Other notable findings of the Study include:

  • Three-quarters of the land-based environs and near 66% of the marine environment take been significantly contradistinct by human deportment. On average these trends take been less severe or avoided in areas held or managed by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
  • More than than a third of the world's country surface and near 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted to ingather or livestock product.
  • The value of agricultural ingather production has increased by virtually 300% since 1970, raw timber harvest has risen past 45% and approximately sixty billion tons of renewable and nonrenewable resources are at present extracted globally every year – having nearly doubled since 1980.
  • Land degradation has reduced the productivity of 23% of the global land surface, up to US$577 billion in annual global crops are at hazard from pollinator loss and 100-300 million people are at increased risk of floods and hurricanes considering of loss of coastal habitats and protection.
  • In 2015, 33% of marine fish stocks were being harvested at unsustainable levels; 60% were maximally sustainably fished, with simply 7% harvested at levels lower than what tin can be sustainably fished.
  • Urban areas have more than doubled since 1992.
  • Plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980, 300-400 million tons of heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludge and other wastes from industrial facilities are dumped annually into the world'due south waters, and fertilizers entering littoral ecosystems have produced more than 400 ocean 'dead zones', totalling more than 245,000 km2 (591-595) – a combined surface area greater than that of the United Kingdom.
  • Negative trends in nature will continue to 2050 and across in all of the policy scenarios explored in the Report, except those that include transformative alter – due to the projected impacts of increasing land-use change, exploitation of organisms and climate change, although with pregnant differences betwixt regions.

The Report also presents a broad range of illustrative actions for sustainability and pathways for achieving them beyond and between sectors such as agriculture, forestry, marine systems, freshwater systems, urban areas, free energy, finance and many others. It highlights the importance of, among others, adopting integrated management and cross-sectoral approaches that take into account the trade-offs of food and energy production, infrastructure, freshwater and coastal direction, and biodiversity conservation.

Besides identified as a central element of more sustainable futurity policies is the evolution of global financial and economic systems to build a global sustainable economy, steering away from the current limited paradigm of economical growth.

"IPBES presents the administrative science, knowledge and the policy options to decision-makers for their consideration," said IPBES Executive Secretary, Dr. Anne Larigauderie. "Nosotros thank the hundreds of experts, from around the world, who have volunteered their time and knowledge to aid address the loss of species, ecosystems and genetic diversity – a truly global and generational threat to human well-being."

Farther Information on Key Issues from the Report

Scale of Loss of Nature

  • Gains from societal and policy responses, while important, have not stopped massive losses.
  • Since 1970, trends in agricultural production, fish harvest, bioenergy production and harvest of materials take increased, in response to population growth, ascension demand and technological development, this has come at a steep price, which has been unequally distributed within and across countries. Many other key indicators of nature's contributions to people all the same, such as soil organic carbon and pollinator diversity, have declined, indicating that gains in material contributions are oft not sustainable .
  • The pace of agricultural expansion into intact ecosystems has varied from country to country. Losses of intact ecosystems accept occurred primarily in the tropics, dwelling to the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet. For example, 100 one thousand thousand hectares of tropical forest were lost from 1980 to 2000, resulting mainly from cattle ranching in Latin America (about 42 million hectares) and plantations in South-East Asia (about 7.5 million hectares, of which fourscore% is for palm oil, used mostly in food, cosmetics, cleaning products and fuel) among others.
  • Since 1970 the global human population has more than doubled (from iii.7 to 7.6 billion), rising unevenly across countries and regions; and per capita gross domestic product is four times higher – with e'er-more than distant consumers shifting the environmental burden of consumption and production beyond regions.
  • The average affluence of native species in well-nigh major land-based habitats has fallen by at least 20%, mostly since 1900.
  • The numbers of invasive conflicting species per state have risen by near 70% since 1970, across the 21 countries with detailed records.
  • The distributions of almost half (47%) of state-based flightless mammals, for example, and most a quarter of threatened birds, may already have been negatively affected past climate change.

Ethnic Peoples, Local Communities and Nature

  • At least a quarter of the global land area is traditionally owned, managed, used or occupied past Indigenous Peoples. These areas include approximately 35% of the area that is formally protected, and approximately 35% of all remaining terrestrial areas with very low homo intervention.
  • Nature managed by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities is under increasing pressure merely is generally failing less rapidly than in other lands – although 72% of local indicators adult and used by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities show the deterioration of nature that underpins local livelihoods.
  • The areas of the world projected to experience significant negative effects from global changes in climate, biodiversity, ecosystem functions and nature'southward contributions to people are also areas in which large concentrations of Ethnic Peoples and many of the world's poorest communities reside.
  • Regional and global scenarios currently lack and would do good from an explicit consideration of the views, perspectives and rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, their knowledge and understanding of large regions and ecosystems, and their desired time to come evolution pathways. Recognition of the cognition, innovations and practices, institutions and values of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and their inclusion and participation in environmental governance often enhances their quality of life, also as nature conservation, restoration and sustainable use. Their positive contributions to sustainability can exist facilitated through national recognition of land tenure, access and resources rights in accordance with national legislation, the application of free, prior and informed consent, and improved collaboration, fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the apply, and co-direction arrangements with local communities.

Global Targets and Policy Scenarios

  • By and ongoing rapid declines in biodiversity, ecosystem functions and many of nature's contributions to people mean that nearly international societal and environmental goals, such as those embodied in the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development volition not be achieved based on current trajectories.
  • The authors of the Report examined six policy scenarios – very different 'baskets' of clustered policy options and approaches, including 'Regional Competition', 'Business as Usual' and 'Global Sustainability' – projecting the probable impacts on biodiversity and nature's contributions to people of these pathways past 2050. They concluded that, except in scenarios that include transformative change, the negative trends in nature, ecosystem functions and in many of nature's contributions to people will go along to 2050 and beyond due to the projected impacts of increasing land and body of water use change, exploitation of organisms and climatic change.

Policy Tools, Options and Exemplary Practices

  • Policy actions and societal initiatives are helping to enhance awareness most the impact of consumption on nature, protecting local environments, promoting sustainable local economies and restoring degraded areas. Together with initiatives at various levels these have contributed to expanding and strengthening the current network of ecologically representative and well-connected protected area networks and other effective surface area-based conservation measures, the protection of watersheds and incentives and sanctions to reduce pollution .
  • The Report presents an illustrative list of possible actions and pathways for achieving them across locations, systems and scales, which will be about likely to back up sustainability. Taking an integrated approach:
  • In agriculture , the Report emphasizes, among others: promoting skilful agricultural and agroecological practices; multifunctional landscape planning (which simultaneously provides food security, livelihood opportunities, maintenance of species and ecological functions) and cross-sectoral integrated management. It too points to the importance of deeper engagement of all actors throughout the nutrient system (including producers, the public sector, civil society and consumers) and more integrated landscape and watershed management; conservation of the diversity of genes, varieties, cultivars, breeds, landraces and species; likewise every bit approaches that empower consumers and producers through market transparency, improved distribution and localization (that revitalizes local economies), reformed supply chains and reduced food waste.
  • In marine systems , the Report highlights, among others: ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management; spatial planning; effective quotas; marine protected areas; protecting and managing primal marine biodiversity areas; reducing run- off pollution into oceans and working closely with producers and consumers.
  • In freshwater systems , policy options and actions include, amongst others: more than inclusive h2o governance for collaborative h2o management and greater equity; better integration of water resource management and landscape planning across scales; promoting practices to reduce soil erosion, sedimentation and pollution run-off; increasing water storage; promoting investment in water projects with articulate sustainability criteria; equally well as addressing the fragmentation of many freshwater policies.
  • In urban areas , the Report highlights, among others: promotion of nature-based solutions; increasing access to urban services and a good for you urban environs for depression-income communities; improving access to light-green spaces; sustainable production and consumption and ecological connectivity inside urban spaces, peculiarly with native species.
  • Across all examples, the Report recognises the importance of including dissimilar value systems and diverse interests and worldviews in formulating policies and actions. This includes the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in governance, the reform and development of incentive structures and ensuring that biodiversity considerations are prioritised across all key sector planning.
  • "We have already seen the kickoff stirrings of deportment and initiatives for transformative change, such equally innovative policies by many countries, local authorities and businesses, but particularly by young people worldwide," said Sir Robert Watson. "From the immature global shapers backside the #VoiceforthePlanet motion, to school strikes for climate, there is a groundswell of agreement that urgent action is needed if we are to secure anything approaching a sustainable futurity. The IPBES Global Assessment Report offers the best bachelor expert prove to help inform these decisions, policies and actions – and provides the scientific ground for the biodiversity framework and new decadal targets for biodiversity, to exist decided in late 2020 in China, under the auspices of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity."

By the Numbers – Fundamental Statistics and Facts from the Report

Full general

  • 75%: terrestrial surround "severely altered" to date by human being actions (marine environments 66%)
  • 47%: reduction in global indicators of ecosystem extent and condition against their estimated natural baselines, with many continuing to pass up by at least 4% per decade
  • 28%: global land area held and/or managed by Indigenous Peoples , including >40% of formally protected areas and 37% of all remaining terrestrial areas with very depression human intervention
  • +/-60 billion: tons of renewable and non-renewable resources extracted globally each twelvemonth, upwards nigh 100% since 1980
  • 15%: increase in global per capita consumption of materials since 1980
  • >85%: of wetlands nowadays in 1700 had been lost by 2000 – loss of wetlands is currently 3 times faster, in percentage terms, than forest loss.

Species, Populations and Varieties of Plants and Animals

  • 8 million: total estimated number of animal and plant species on Globe (including v.5 million insect species)
  • Tens to hundreds of times: the extent to which the electric current rate of global species extinction is higher compared to average over the final 10 million years, and the charge per unit is accelerating
  • Up to 1 1000000: species threatened with extinction, many within decades
  • >500,000 (+/-9%): share of the globe'south estimated 5.ix million terrestrial species with insufficient habitat for long term survival without habitat restoration
  • >xl%: amphibian species threatened with extinction
  • Almost 33%: reef forming corals, sharks and shark relatives, and >33% marine mammals threatened with extinction
  • 25%: average proportion of species threatened with extinction across terrestrial, freshwater and marine vertebrate, invertebrate and plant groups that have been studied in sufficient detail
  • At least 680: vertebrate species driven to extinction by human actions since the 16th century
  • +/-10%: tentative guess of proportion of insect species threatened with extinction
  • >20%: decline in boilerplate abundance of native species in most major terrestrial biomes, mostly since 1900
    +/-560 (+/-x%): domesticated breeds of mammals were extinct by 2016, with at least i,000 more threatened
  • 3.five%: domesticated breed of birds extinct by 2016
  • lxx%: increase since 1970 in numbers of invasive alien species beyond 21 countries with detailed records
  • 30%: reduction in global terrestrial habitat integrity caused by habitat loss and deterioration
  • 47%: proportion of terrestrial flightless mammals and 23% of threatened birds whose distributions may take been negatively impacted by climate change already
  • >6: species of ungulate (hoofed mammals) would probable be extinct or surviving just in captivity today without conservation measures

Food and Agronomics

  • 300%: increase in food crop production since 1970
  • 23%: state areas that take seen a reduction in productivity due to land deposition
  • >75%: global food crop types that rely on animal pollination
  • United states$235 to US$577 billion: almanac value of global crop output at run a risk due to pollinator loss
  • 5.6 gigatons: almanac CO2 emissions sequestered in marine and terrestrial ecosystems – equivalent to 60% of global fossil fuel emission
  • +/-eleven%: world population that is undernourished
  • 100 meg: hectares of agricultural expansion in the torrid zone from 1980 to 2000, mainly cattle ranching in Latin America (+/-42 1000000 ha), and plantations in Southeast Asia (+/-7.5 million ha, of which eighty% is oil palm), one-half of information technology at the expense of intact forests
  • three%: increment in land transformation to agronomics between 1992 and 2015, mostly at the expense of orests
  • >33%: world's country surface (and +/-75% of freshwater resources) devoted to ingather or livestock product
  • 12%: world's ice-complimentary land used for crop product
  • 25%: world's ice-costless land used for grazing (+/-lxx% of drylands)
  • +/-25%: greenhouse gas emissions caused by state clearing, ingather production and fertilization, with animal-based nutrient contributing 75% to that figure
  • +/-30%: global crop product and global nutrient supply provided by pocket-size country holdings (<2 ha), using +/-25% of agronomical country, normally maintaining rich agrobiodiversity
  • $100 billion: estimated level of financial support in OECD countries (2015) to agriculture that is potentially harmful to the environment

Oceans and Angling

  • 33%: marine fish stocks in 2015 existence harvested at unsustainable levels; sixty% are maximally sustainably fished; 7% are underfished
  • >55%: sea expanse covered past industrial fishing
  • iii-x%: projected decrease in ocean net main product due to climate change alone by the stop of the century
  • 3-25%: projected decrease in fish biomass past the finish of the century in low and loftier climate warming scenarios, respectively
  • >90%: proportion of the global commercial fishers accounted for by small scale fisheries (over 30 million people) – representing nearly 50% of global fish catch
  • Up to 33%: estimated share in 2011 of world's reported fish catch that is illegal, unreported or unregulated
  • >ten%: decrease per decade in the extent of seagrass meadows from 1970-2000
  • +/-fifty%: live coral cover of reefs lost since 1870s
  • 100-300 million: people in coastal areas at increased adventure due to loss of coastal habitat protection
  • 400: depression oxygen (hypoxic) littoral ecosystem 'dead zones' caused past fertilizers, affecting >245,000 km2
  • 29%: average reduction in the extinction risk for mammals and birds in 109 countries cheers to conservation investments from 1996 to 2008; the extinction adventure of birds, mammals and amphibians would have been at least xx% greater without conservation action in recent decade
  • >107: highly threatened birds, mammals and reptiles estimated to have benefitted from the eradication of invasive mammals on islands

Forests

  • 45%: increase in raw timber production since 1970 (4 billion cubic meters in 2017)
  • +/-13 million: forestry industry jobs
  • l%: agricultural expansion that occurred at the expense of forests
  • l%: subtract in net rate of forest loss since the 1990s (excluding those managed for timber or agricultural extraction)
  • 68%: global wood expanse today compared with the estimated pre-industrial level
  • vii%: reduction of intact forests (>500 sq. km with no human being pressure) from 2000-2013 in developed and developing countries
  • 290 million ha (+/-half dozen%): native woods cover lost from 1990-2015 due to clearing and wood harvesting
  • 110 meg ha: rise in the area of planted forests from 1990-2015
  • x-15%: global timber supplies provided by illegal forestry (up to 50% in some areas)
  • >two billion: people who rely on wood fuel to meet their chief free energy needs

Mining and Energy

  • <i%: total state used for mining, just the manufacture has significant negative impacts on biodiversity, emissions, water quality and man wellness
  • +/-17,000: large-scale mining sites (in 171 countries), mostly managed by 616 international corporations
  • +/-6,500: offshore oil and gas ocean mining installations ((in 53 countries)
  • Us$345 billion: global subsidies for fossil fuels resulting in US$v trillion in overall costs, including nature deterioration externalities; coal accounts for 52% of postal service-taxation subsidies, petroleum for +/-33% and natural gas for +/-x%

Urbanization, Development and Socioeconomic Issues

  • >100%: growth of urban areas since 1992
  • 25 million km: length of new paved roads foreseen by 2050, with 90% of structure in to the lowest degree developed and developing countries
  • +/-l,000: number of large dams (>15m height) ; +/-17 million reservoirs (>0.01 ha)
  • 105%: increase in global homo population (from 3.vii to 7.six billion) since 1970 unevenly across countries and regions
  • 50 times higher: per capita GDP in developed vs. least developed countries
  • >2,500: conflicts over fossil fuels, water, food and land currently occurring worldwide
  • >1,000: environmental activists and journalists killed between 2002 and 2013

Wellness

  • 70%: proportion of cancer drugs that are natural or synthetic products inspired past nature
  • +/-4 billion: people who rely primarily on natural medicines
  • 17%: infectious diseases spread by animal vectors, causing >700,000 annual deaths
  • +/-821 million: people face food insecurity in Asia and Africa
  • forty%: of the global population lacks admission to clean and safe drinking water
  • >80%: global wastewater discharged untreated into the environment
  • 300-400 million tons: heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludge, and other wastes from industrial facilities dumped annually into the world's waters
  • ten times: increase in plastic pollution since 1980

Climate Change

  • 1 degree Celsius: average global temperature divergence in 2017 compared to pre-industrial levels, ascent +/-0.2 (+/-0.1) degrees Celsius per decade
  • >iii mm: almanac average global body of water level rise over the past two decades
  • 16-21 cm: rising in global average bounding main level since 1900
  • 100% increase since 1980 in greenhouse gas emissions, raising average global temperature by at least 0.7 degree
  • forty%: rise in carbon footprint of tourism (to 4.5Gt of carbon dioxide) from 2009 to 2013
  • viii%: of full greenhouse gas emissions are from send and food consumption related to tourism
  • v%: estimated fraction of species at risk of extinction from 2°C warming  alone, rise to 16% at iv.3°C warming
  • Even for global warming of 1.5 to 2 degrees, the majority of terrestrial species ranges are projected to shrink profoundly.

Sustainable Development Goals

  • Most: Aichi Biodiversity Targets for 2020 likely to be missed
  • 22 of 44: assessed targets nether the Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty, hunger, health, water, cities, climate, ocean and land are being undermined by substantial negative trends in nature and its contributions to people
  • 72%: of local indicators in nature developed and used by Ethnic Peoples and Local Communities that prove negative trends
  • four: number of Aichi Targets where practiced progress has been fabricated on sure components, with moderate progress on some components of another seven targets, poor progress on all components of 6 targets, and insufficient information to assess progress on some or all components of the remaining iii targets

IPBES Partner Comments

"Nature makes human development possible just our relentless demand for the globe's resource is accelerating extinction rates and devastating the world'south ecosystems. UN Environment is proud to back up the Global Assessment Report produced by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services because it highlights the critical need to integrate biodiversity considerations in global decision-making on whatever sector or claiming, whether its water or agronomics, infrastructure or business organization."
– Joyce Msuya, Acting Caput, UN Environment

"Across cultures, humans inherently value nature. The magic of seeing fireflies flickering long into the nighttime is immense. We draw energy and nutrients from nature. We discover sources of food, medicine, livelihoods and innovation in nature. Our well-beingness fundamentally depends on nature. Our efforts to conserve biodiversity and ecosystems must be underpinned by the all-time scientific discipline that humanity tin produce. This is why the scientific evidence compiled in this IPBES Global Assessment is so important. It volition help united states build a stronger foundation for shaping the mail service 2020 global biodiversity framework: the 'New Bargain for Nature and People'; and for achieving the SDGs."
– Achim Steiner, Administrator, United nations Development Programme

"This essential report reminds each of us of the obvious truth: the present generations have the responsibility to bequeath to futurity generations a planet that is not irreversibly damaged by man activity. Our local, indigenous and scientific cognition are proving that we have solutions and so no more than excuses: we must live on earth differently. UNESCO is committed to promoting respect of the living and of its multifariousness, ecological solidarity with other living species, and to institute new, equitable and global links of partnership and intragenerational solidarity, for the perpetuation of humankind."
– Audrey Azoulay, Director-Full general, UNESCO

"The IPBES' 2019 Global Assessment Written report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services comes at a critical fourth dimension for the planet and all its peoples. The report'south findings – and the years of diligent work past the many scientists who contributed – will offer a comprehensive view of the current weather condition of global biodiversity. Healthy biodiversity is the essential infrastructure that supports all forms of life on earth, including human life. It likewise provides nature-based solutions on many of the most critical environmental, economic, and social challenges that we face equally man society, including climate change, sustainable development, health, and water and food security. We are currently in the midst of preparing for the 2020 UN Biodiversity Conference, in China, which will marking the shut of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and prepare the class for a postal service 2020 ecologically focused sustainable evolution pathway to evangelize multiple benefits for people, the planet and our global economy. The IPBES report will serve as a fundamental baseline of where we are and where we need to get every bit a global community to inspire humanity to attain the 2050 Vision of the UN Biodiversity Convention "Living in harmony with nature". I want to extend my thanks and congratulations to the IPBES community for their hard work, immense contributions and continued partnership."
– Cristiana Pasca Palmer, Executive Secretarial assistant, Convention on Biological Diversity

"The Global Cess of biodiversity and ecosystem services adds a major chemical element to the trunk of show for the importance of biodiversity to efforts to attain the Zip Hunger objective and meet the Sustainable Development Goals. Together, assessments undertaken past IPBES, FAO, CBD and other organizations point to the urgent demand for action to better conserve and sustainably utilize biodiversity and to the importance of cantankerous-sectoral and multidisciplinary collaboration among conclusion-makers and other stakeholders at all levels."
– Jose Graziano da Silva, Director-Full general, Nutrient and Agriculture System of the United nations

Notes to editors

IPBES has now released the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) of the Global Cess written report. The SPM presents the cardinal messages and policy options, as approved by the IPBES Plenary. To access the SPM, photos, 'B-ringlet' and other media resources go to: bit.ly/IPBESReport The full six-chapter Report (including all data) is expected exceed 1,500 pages and will be published later this year.

Additional videos:

  • IPBES Assessment of Land Degradation and Restoration (2018): world wide web.youtube.com/watch?v=KCt7aai17Nk
  • IPBES Regional Assessments of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (2018): www.youtube.com/sentinel?v=kR0HeepbWCc
  • IPBES Cess of Pollinators, Pollination and Food Product (2016): world wide web.youtube.com/sentinel?5=YwkYbeiwK5A
  • IPBES Cess of Scenarios and Models of Biodiversity (2016): www.youtube.com/watch?5=wZfcDmtGa9I

IPBES Partner Comments most the importance of the Report:

  • Joyce Msuya, Acting Caput, UN Environment
  • Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, UNESCO
  • José Graziano da Silva, Manager-Full general, Nutrient and Agronomics Organisation of the United Nations
  • Achim Steiner, Ambassador, United nations Development Programme
  • Cristiana Pasca Palmer, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity

Well-nigh IPBES:

Often described every bit the "IPCC for biodiversity", IPBES is an independent intergovernmental torso comprising more than 130 member Governments. Established by Governments in 2012, it provides policymakers with objective scientific assessments about the country of knowledge regarding the planet's biodiversity, ecosystems and the contributions they brand to people, likewise as the tools and methods to protect and sustainably employ these vital natural assets. For more than information about IPBES and its assessments visit world wide web.ipbes.net

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