When the 11th IPBES Plenary concluded in December 2024, it was with important progress for global biodiversity, ecosystems and sustainability with the approval of two new and landmark reports, both predicted to have a major impact on the future green transition. Both reports will set the stage for a new symposium on February 19, 2025 in collaboration with Copenhagen Business School.
Closer to transformative change
The release of the latest global consensus reports from IPBES is the starting point for a new symposium on February 19, 2025 in Copenhagen in collaboration with Copenhagen Business School (CBS).
Here, we explore how we in Denmark can create transformative change that addresses the underlying causes of the biodiversity crisis across sectors. Researchers from different disciplines will present their perspectives on transformative change, and through case studies we explore barriers, challenges, opportunities and visions for profound systemic change.
Among the keynotes and speakers at the symposium, we have the pleasure of Professor Esther Turnhout, Twente University in the Netherlands and co-author of the IPBES report on transformative change. In addition, Professor Katharine Richardson and Professor, Head of Center and Chair of the IPBES in Denmark Steering Committee, Carsten Rahbek, and Climate Council Chair Peter Møllgaard are among the symposium speakers
Participation is free, but registration is required. Read more about the symposium and register here by February 16, 2025: Symposium – Closer to Transformative Change in Denmark
First plenary on the African continent
Windhoek, Namibia was the center of the latest IPBES Plenary, IPBES 11, marking the first IPBES Plenary held in Africa and highlighting the continent’s growing role in global science-policy work. Two key reports were intensively discussed in the plenary’s numerous sessions: the Transformative Change Report and the Nexus Report on the balances between biodiversity, food production, health, water supply and climate.
The Danish delegation consisted of Katrine Nissen and Michael Greel from the Ministry of Green Trepart and Lars Dinesen, IPBES in Denmark coordinator.
Report on transformative change
Thematic assessment of the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, determinants of transformative change and options for achieving the 2050 vision for biodiversity
The new report examines the underlying causes of biodiversity loss and outlines the actions needed to achieve the UN 2050 vision for biodiversity. The report has been long awaited as it addresses the necessary changes identified in the 2019 Global Consensus Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
Transformative change is defined by IPBES as:
A fundamental, system-wide reorganization across technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values.
IPBES (2019)
The report emphasizes the need for these sweeping and systemic changes, while identifying the barriers and opportunities that are driving the biodiversity crisis: land use, pursuit, pollution, invasive species and climate change.
The report builds on the report The diverse Values and Valuation of Nature (IPBES, 2022), which outlines the significant shifts in our behavior and ways of perceiving and thinking about values as important components of transformative change.
Read more: Two new consensus reports adopted (in Danish)
Finally, the report offers strategic guidance for decision makers and stakeholders and highlights the key principles:
- Equality and fairness
- Pluralism and inclusion
- Respect for nature and its values
- Adaptive learning and action
The Transformative Change report also provides a solid platform for the upcoming IPBES report on business and biodiversity, scheduled for launch in December 2025.
Nexus reports
Thematic assessment of the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health
This report addresses the connections and balances between biodiversity, water supply, food, health and climate and presents different scenarios with different priorities and trade-offs; i.e., optimizing one area at the expense of others.
For example, intensive agriculture is at the expense of biodiversity and usually also climate regulation and perhaps even water quality. In the report, the authors advocate a holistic approach to address the interdependencies of the issues. They do this by presenting scenarios and response options to achieve balances that seek to address the various concerns simultaneously. The report complements the transformative change report by focusing on the balances, including synergies and trade-offs, between the different areas.
The report concludes that if current and negative trends continue, it will result in significant negative results for all so-called “nexus elements”.
The main focus is to increase understanding of the links between biodiversity, water supply, food, health and climate as well as the individual and cross-cutting linkages: what are the consequences of increased agricultural production on biodiversity, clean drinking water supply, etc.
The report is structured in four areas:
- Past and present interactions between biodiversity, water supply, food, health and climate
- Future interactions
- Response options that address the interactions
- Regulating interactions for a more a more just and sustainable future
In particular, “responsiveness” is emphasized in the report, including collaboration across sectors and scale (time and space) to contribute to a holistic synergy in management and governance, where many concerns are addressed simultaneously.
Future directions and collaborations
The plenary also discussed the framework for a new global IPBES report to be published in 2028. This comprehensive report will cover terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, focusing on historical data and future projections up to the year 2100. In addition, emphasis was placed on seeking to strengthen knowledge collaboration between IPBES and the IPCC in areas where there are overlapping barriers and opportunities for action.
The next IPBES Plenary is scheduled to take place in London at the end of 2025. This plenary will focus on the interaction between business and biodiversity with the aim of providing knowledge to facilitate business engagement in the biodiversity crisis.
Capacity building and national uptake
A significant part of the discussions focused on improving the inclusion of knowledge in IPBES reports and strengthening capacity building at national level.
The outcomes of the 11th IPBES Plenary highlight the critical need for transformative change and new integrated approaches to address the complex challenges facing global biodiversity. The options for action outlined in the two reports will be crucial in guiding policy-making and action towards a sustainable future.
Via the link you can read more about the reports on the IPBES international website and find the Summary for Policymakers for each report:
