Gerd Altmann/Pixabay
Transformative changes are needed to safeguard life on Earth
The world needs transformative change if life on Earth is to be safeguarded and people are to continue to receive the services and benefits that nature provides, according to the Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services report released in 2019 by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
The report lists land use changes, climate change, pollution and invasive species among the main drivers of nature degradation. The report also identified several courses of action to bring about the transformative change needed to reverse these alarming trends. These include stronger international cooperation, correcting perverse incentive structures, applying a more holistic approach to decision-making and strengthening implementation of environmental laws and policies.
The IPBES Global Assessment provides the most comprehensive analysis of the state of biodiversity and ecosystems since the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and comes a critical moment. The report is a key input for the fifth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, due to be released in May 2020. Its findings will inform the intergovernmental process under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to define a new post-2020 global biodiversity framework when the current Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 comes to an end. The new framework is expected to be adopted by the 196 Parties to the CBD at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-15) in October 2020 in Kunming, China.
More information:
IPBES Global Assessment underscores need for transformational change to safeguard life on Earth Press Release