Highlights and images for 21 June 2021

The eighth session of the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES-8) resumed work with a stocktaking plenary session and discussions under the working group.

Highlights of the day included:

• A reiteration of the offer by the US to hold IPBES-10 in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2023, which Members gladly accepted, with no offers yet to host IPBES-9; and
• With time running out, disagreements on elements of scope, structure, and chapters’ content regarding the scoping report on the nexus assessment will need to be bridged in the working group.

Plenary

During plenary, Members:

• listened to progress updates on the scoping reports on the transformative change and nexus assessments, with Co-Chair Doug Beard (US) noting more work is needed, particularly on the latter;
• listened to the progress report of the deliberations of the budget group, provided by Co-Chair Vinod Mathur (India);
• agreed a draft decision on assessing knowledge and improving the effectiveness of the Platform will be forwarded to final plenary for adoption;
• welcomed an offer by the US to host IPBES-10 in Madison, Wisconsin; and
• listened to the credentials’ report.

Working Group on the Nexus Assessment

Members focused on sections dealing with the scoping report’s structure, chapter outline, and scope.

Regarding structure, some Members suggested condensing the content of different chapters into one, highlighting the full interactions among the nexus elements. Others wanted the structure to be retained, with the different chapters analyzing the various components of the nexus.

On chapter outlines, delegates discussed at length chapters addressing: delivering sustainable approaches to finance; delivering sustainable approaches to biodiversity conservation, restoration, and sustainable use; and a summary and synthesis of options, knowledge gaps, and capacity development.

Members agreed to address sustainable approaches to public and private finance for biodiversity-related elements of the nexus, noting the assessment will examine the role of international, national, public, and private financers. In opting for broader wording, they further summarized the text, removing examples of economic instruments or evolving economic paradigms.

Delegates discussed terminology around nature’s contributions to people and ecosystem services with differing opinions. They agreed to references to green and blue urban spaces; freshwater ecosystems; and environmental public awareness.

On scope, Members exchanged opinions on the best way to include references to “different worldviews, knowledge, and multiple value systems, and systems of life.” They further debated on listing specific elements of globally agreed goals, such as affordable and clean energy, and discussed references to the emergence and spread of infectious diseases as well as consideration of “other holistic approaches” alongside the One Health approach.

Delegates still must reach consensus on several sections of the scoping report for the nexus assessment. Discussions will continue tomorrow.