The European Union's Support to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

Project Information

EU4IPBES

Grant agreement ID: 101119387

DOI

10.3030/101119387

EC signature date 19 July 2023

Start date 1 May 2023

End date 30 April 2028

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

€ 5 000 000,00

EU contribution

€ 5 000 000,00

Coordinated by

UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
Kenya

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EU4IPBES (The European Union's Support to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES))

Reporting period: 2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Project 101119387 — EU4IPBES provides significant funding for the implementation of the work programme up to 2030 of IPBES, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body comprising close to 150 Member States. Established in 2012, IPBES provides policymakers with objective scientific assessments about the state of knowledge regarding nature and its contributions to people, as well as options for actions to protect and to sustainably use these vital natural assets. IPBES is, among others, informing the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Scientists and knowledge holders from all parts of the world contribute to the work of IPBES on a voluntary basis. They are nominated by a government or an organisation and selected by the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel of IPBES. Peer review forms a key component of the work of IPBES to ensure that a range of views is reflected and that the work is completed to the highest scientific standards.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the reporting period, IPBES implemented its work programme as approved by the IPBES Plenary, with specific deliverables grouped under the following objectives:

Objective 1: Assessing knowledge
Advanced work toward the production of the assessment of the impact and dependence of business on biodiversity (2026).
Advanced work toward the production of the methodological assessment on monitoring biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people (monitoring assessment) (expected 2027).
Advanced work toward the production of the spatial planning and connectivity assessment (expected 2027).
Advanced work toward the production of the Second Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (expected 2028).

Objective 2: Building capacity
Enhanced youth participation including through training and fellowships.
Strengthened national and regional capacities.

Objective 3: Strengthening the knowledge foundations
Implementation of the approach to working with Indigenous and local knowledge systems

Objective 4: Supporting policy
Catalysation of the development of new scenarios and models of biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services
Provision of support to a range of institutions to familiarise decision makers with the key findings of IPBES assessments.

Objective 5: Communicating and engaging
Dedicated media campaigns to inform about outcomes of recently released IPBES Assessments.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The work of IPBES advances science-policy by, amongst others, providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the research, literature, data and evidence from a wide range of sources, disciplines and knowledge systems, offering decision-makers at all levels a synthesis by the world’s leading experts of the best-available knowledge, most likely scenarios and options for policy and action informed by these assessments. IPBES also continues to lead the evolution of science-policy best practice through, amongst others, pioneering work on the inclusion of Indigenous and local knowledge – which has inspired other organizations to explore similar paths. Ongoing IPBES achievements in innovation extend to all aspects of the IPBES work programme – with, for instance, capacity-building activities to support member States and other decision makers in contributing to and making use of the work of IPBES; knowledge and data work to more comprehensively identify and incorporate diverse sources of evidence and data in IPBES assessments; the creation, maintenance and promotion of a first-of-its-kind indicative impact tracking database; three-phase outreach and dissemination campaigns for all IPBES report launches; and many more.