Posted on April, 29 2019

Gland, Switzerland - 29 April 2019

As biodiversity continues its unprecedented decline, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will be launching a landmark Global Assessment Report on the state of nature on 6 May in Paris. The report will provide compelling scientific evidence to make governments fully aware of the risks of nature loss, reinforcing urgent need for action.

The report comes at a time when the devastating impacts of biodiversity loss and climate change are pushing the planet to its brink. As made clear by the Living Planet Report launched by WWF in October last year, nature provides services for humanity worth around US$125 trillion a year. However, its catastrophic decline is severely undermining nature’s ability to power and sustain our lives. The report will provide key scientific evidence on the role of biodiversity and natural assets in powering our economies and businesses and will offer policymakers and business leaders compelling evidence for reducing human impact on nature to avoid risks.

The IPBES report will also provide crucial scientific data on the interlinkage between climate change and biodiversity loss which will be key to guiding governments and decision makers in taking decisions as countries look to enhance their climate commitments under the Paris agreement in 2020.

“Nature holds the key to sustaining all life on Earth. We depend on it for our basic needs which rely on a complex web of processes, powered by millions of plants, animals and wildlife species we share our planet with. However, nature and biodiversity are declining rapidly. We need to inspire the world to act in 2020 and get nature high up on global policymakers’ agendas. The IPBES Global Assessment report is a key milestone in this journey to 2020, providing recommendations to policymakers for developing a new global biodiversity framework for the decade 2021-2030 to stop nature loss." said Rebecca Shaw, Chief Scientist, WWF. 

“The Global Assessment report will come at an opportune time for EU leaders, just days before they meet at the Sibiu Summit where they will discuss the future of the EU. The world is waking up to the dual threat of biodiversity loss and climate change, and this report will play a pivotal role in informing EU leaders and decision makers of the risks of nature loss for both people and planet” said Sabien Leemans, Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer, WWF European Policy Office.

 

The report is launching ahead of a crucial time as the year 2020 will see world leaders take key decisions on the future direction of the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals, and a new global framework for biodiversity and nature until 2030. The IPBES report will be a key piece of scientific evidence to inform policy makers about the state of biodiversity and ecosystems and - based on different scenarios - provide recommendations to policymakers for taking bold decisions to move the world towards a sustainable future.


Contact
Kanika Kohli
WWF International 
kkohli@wwfint.org

Edel Shanahan
Communications Assistant, Biodiversity
WWF European Policy Office
eshanahan@wwf.eu