IPBES5- International Women’s Day

As International Women’s Day is celebrated, we would like to draw special attention and gratitude toward the many brilliant female leaders, participants, and volunteers at IPBES5–especially our own Global Change Ecology students who have contributed so much to this conference. IPBES Chair Sir Robert Walton released the following statement: “The issue of gender is of […]

Share this

IPBES5, Day 3: Contact Group Meetings

The plenary has broken up into the various contact groups. Group 1 has discussed issues of local and indigenous knowledge and the review of IPBES. Issues discussed include the scope of the review, who will conduct the review, budget considerations, and how the results of the review will be used. Group 2, meanwhile, has discussed […]

Share this

Day 2: IPBES Branding and Review

Unfortunately, the plenary is still stuck on organizational matters. For example, use of the IPBES acronym and logo by member countries and other organizations. Is the current policy of IPBES (approved at IPBES-4) too restrictive? Some see wider use of these as a potential risk to the credibility of the organization. On the other, many […]

Share this

IPBES 5, Day 2: Should pending IPBES assessments be started?

In addition to the IPBES assessments currently underway, three assessments from the first Work Programme are still pending: A values assessment An assessment of invasive species An assessment of sustainable use of wild species. Each of these assessments would cost approximately $1 million USD and take three years to complete. Numerous countries, including Mexico, Colombia, […]

Share this

IPBES 5, Day 1: Getting Started

In kind, contributions of an estimated US$14 million dollars have been made to IPBES since 2014. This was in the form of time spent by experts on preparing the assessments. Nonetheless, IPBES is strapped for cash. There is not enough money for IPBES to continue with its current assessments. Members have been encouraged to provide […]

Share this

Stakeholder Day: Indigenous & Local Knowledge

During both broad plenary meetings and smaller, break-off group discussions, the importance of elevating and incorporating the knowledge and expertise of indigenous and local peoples was a reoccurring theme. The incorporation of indigenous knowledge cannot be limited to late-stage discussions. Rather, successful implementation of the IPBES work programme must necessarily involve local and indigenous actors […]

Share this

Engaging Stakeholders at IPBES 5

“Biodiversity and ecosystem services are just as important as climate change!” This was the opening statement from the Chair of The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Sir Robert Watson at the Stakeholder Day at IPBES 5. A major goal of IPBESin the future is making people aware that biodiversity is both relevant […]

Share this