{"id":34435,"date":"2025-01-29T13:31:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T20:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/futureearth.org\/?p=34435"},"modified":"2025-01-29T13:31:19","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T20:31:19","slug":"future-earth-experts-contribute-to-two-new-landmark-ipbes-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/futureearth.org\/2025\/01\/29\/future-earth-experts-contribute-to-two-new-landmark-ipbes-reports\/","title":{"rendered":"Future Earth Experts Contribute to Two New Landmark IPBES Reports"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Together, the IPBES reports offer the path forward to tackling the interconnected environment, social, and economic crises by 2030. A number of researchers from Future Earth contributed to the reports.<\/span><\/i><\/h5>\n

The long-awaited <\/span>Nexus Assessment<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Transformative Change<\/span><\/a> reports were launched on 17 December in Windhoek, Namibia by the 11th session of the IPBES Plenary. The Nexus Assessment report addresses the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food, and health and the Transformative Change Assessment explores the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, determinants of transformative change, and options for achieving the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”34437″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1738182566465{padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

KEY FINDINGS IN THE NEXUS REPORT<\/h3>\n

The Assessment Report on the Interlinkages Among Biodiversity, Water, Food and Health \u2013 known as the Nexus Report \u2013 offers decision-makers around the world the most ambitious scientific assessment ever undertaken of these complex interconnections and explores more than five dozen specific response options to maximize co-benefits across five \u2018nexus elements\u2019: biodiversity, water, food, health and climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n

The report says that biodiversity \u2013 the richness and variety of all life on Earth \u2013 is declining at every level from global to local, and across every region. These ongoing declines in nature, largely as a result of human activity, including climate change, have direct and dire impacts on food security and nutrition, water quality and availability, health and wellbeing outcomes, resilience to climate change and almost all of nature\u2019s other contributions to people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite efforts by governments and institutions, indirect socioeconomic drivers like overconsumption and waste have exacerbated the situation, with many economic activities negatively affecting nature while prioritizing short-term financial returns. The report estimates the unaccounted-for costs of these activities at $10-25 trillion annually, while also stressing that delayed action on biodiversity and climate goals will increase costs and risks.<\/span><\/p>\n

The report also emphasizes the unequal impact of these crises, particularly on vulnerable populations in developing countries, Indigenous communities, and low-income areas. It calls for more inclusive decision-making and coordinated actions to address both direct and indirect drivers. The report outlines over 70 response options across policy, political, and community levels, such as restoring ecosystems, sustainable diets, and supporting Indigenous food systems, that can help address interconnected global challenges. These solutions, if implemented together, can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and other international frameworks for biodiversity and climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way to bridge single issue silos is through integrated and adaptive decision-making. \u2018Nexus approaches\u2019 offer policies and actions that are more coherent and coordinated \u2013 moving us towards the transformative change needed to meet our development and sustainability goals,\u201d said Prof. McElwe, co-chair of the Assessment and a member of the Future Earth community.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read the Summary for Policymakers<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

KEY FINDINGS OF THE TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE REPORT<\/h3>\n

The IPBES Assessment Report on the Underlying Causes of Biodiversity Loss and the Determinants of Transformative Change and Options for Achieving the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity \u2013 also known as the Transformative Change Report \u2013 builds on the 2019 IPBES Global Assessment Report, which found that the only way to achieve global development goals is through transformative change, and on the 2022 IPBES Values Assessment Report. It explains what transformative change is, how it occurs, and how to accelerate it for a just and sustainable world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The cost of delaying actions to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and nature\u2019s decline around the world by even a decade is estimated to be double that of acting now. Acting immediately can also unlock massive business and innovation opportunities through sustainable economic approaches, such as nature-positive economy, ecological economy and Mother-Earth centric economy. Recent estimates are that more than $10 trillion in business opportunity value could be generated and 395 million jobs could be supported globally by 2030.<\/span><\/p>\n

The report identifies four principles to guide deliberate transformative change: equity and justice; pluralism and inclusion; respectful and reciprocal human-nature relationships; and adaptive learning and action.<\/span><\/p>\n

The report also identifies five overarching challenges to transformative change: relations of domination over nature and people, especially those that emerged and were propagated in colonial eras and that persist over time; economic and political inequalities; inadequate policies and unfit institutions; unsustainable consumption and production patterns including individual habits and practices; as well as limited access to clean technologies and uncoordinated knowledge and innovation systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Embracing insights and evidence from diverse knowledge systems, disciplines and approaches, the Transformative Change Report highlights five key strategies and associated actions that have complementary and synergistic effects, and which countries and people can pursue to advance deliberate transformative change for global sustainability:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Conserve, restore and regenerate places of value to people and nature that exemplify biocultural diversity.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Drive systematic change and mainstreaming biodiversity in the sectors most responsible for nature\u2019s decline.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Transform economic systems for nature and equity.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Transform governance systems to be inclusive, accountable and adaptive.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Shift views and values to recognize human-nature interconnectedness.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Read the Summary for Policymakers<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Below are the members of the Future Earth community who contributed to the reports and in what capacity:<\/span><\/p>\n

    Nexus Assessment experts:<\/b><\/p>\n