This summary report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) outlines the need and options for transformative change in views, governance structures and practices to halt biodiversity collapse.
Prepared over three years by more than 100 leading experts from 42 countries from all regions of the world, the report explains what transformative change is, how it occurs, and how to accelerate it for a just and sustainable world.
The report notes that under current trends, there is a serious risk of crossing several irreversible biophysical tipping points including die-off of low altitude coral reefs, die back of the Amazon rainforest, and loss of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets.
Transformative change is also necessary because most previous and current approaches to conservation, which aim to reform rather than transform systems, have failed to halt or reverse the decline of nature around the world, which has serious repercussions for the global economy and human well-being.
The report highlights economic losses from biodiversity loss, and highlights that acting quickly on transformative change could generate $10 Trillion in business opportunity value, and support 395 Million Jobs by 2030.
The need to transform governance structures is emphasized in the report. It notes that current structures are insufficient to prevent corruption, disinformation and dominance by powerful interest groups, and can obstruct progress by giving low priority to nature related values, such as those represented by Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
For more information see the IPBES press release, or read the summary report.
