The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is an independent intergovernmental body that strengthens connections between knowledge and policymaking concerning biodiversity and ecosystem services. Established by 94 governments in Panama City on 21 April 2012, it supports conservation, sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being, and sustainable development. Its principal products are expert assessments of existing knowledge, rather than original research or binding rules. Its secretariat is based in Bonn, Germany. (ipbes.net)
Establishment and institutional status
IPBES emerged from international discussions about improving the scientific foundations of biodiversity policy. In June 2010, governments adopted the Busan outcome, which called for an intergovernmental science-policy platform. The United Nations General Assembly subsequently took note of that outcome and requested the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to convene meetings to determine institutional arrangements. Participating states formally established the platform in April 2012. (ipbes.net)
Although closely associated with the United Nations system, IPBES was established as an independent intergovernmental body, not as a UN body. At its first plenary session in January 2013, it requested UNEP to provide its secretariat and administrative arrangements. The secretariat remains accountable to the IPBES Plenary on policy and programme matters. This distinguishes the platform’s government-led decision-making from its administrative relationship with UNEP. (ipbes.net)
Governance and functions
The Plenary is IPBES’s decision-making body. It adopts the work programme, approves budgets, establishes subsidiary bodies, and determines procedures for producing and approving reports. It also considers requests from governments and relevant multilateral environmental agreements, alongside contributions from scientific organizations, civil society, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and the private sector. (akn.ipbes.net)
A Bureau oversees administrative functions. Scientific and technical work is overseen by the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel, comprising five experts from each of the five UN regions. Expert groups and task forces prepare assessments and other deliverables, supported by the secretariat and technical support units. (ipbes.net)
IPBES has four complementary functions: assessing knowledge; building capacity; strengthening knowledge foundations; and supporting policy. These encompass global, regional, thematic, and methodological assessments, training and fellowship activities, identification of knowledge gaps, and development of policy-support tools. Work on scenarios and models explores possible futures for nature and people, while communication and stakeholder engagement support the dissemination and use of findings. (ipbes.net)
Assessment methods and knowledge systems
IPBES assessments critically evaluate scientific publications, other documented evidence, and Indigenous and local knowledge. They combine synthesis, analysis, and expert judgement. Although they do not undertake new primary research, they may reanalyse existing data and models. Their mandate is to be policy-relevant without prescribing particular policies: reports examine evidence and options while identifying uncertainty and gaps in understanding. (ipbes.net)
Assessment production proceeds through requests and scoping, expert evaluation, approval or acceptance, and subsequent use of findings. Expert teams seek disciplinary, geographical, and gender balance, and reports undergo independent peer review. Summaries for policymakers are approved line by line by the Plenary; the supporting assessment chapters are accepted through a distinct procedure. (ipbes.net)
The platform’s conceptual framework accommodates multiple disciplines and knowledge systems. A central concept is nature’s contributions to people, encompassing both beneficial and detrimental contributions of living nature to quality of life. It broadens the ecosystem-services approach by explicitly recognizing cultural contexts and diverse understandings of human–nature relationships. Its 18 reporting categories fall into overlapping material, non-material, and regulating groups. Examples include food provision, purification of water, flood regulation, and artistic inspiration. (ipbes.net)
Major assessments
The first thematic assessment, completed in 2016, addressed pollinators, pollination, and food production. Subsequent reports covered scenarios and models, land degradation and restoration, and biodiversity and ecosystem services in four world regions. Together, these established a programme examining both ecological conditions and methods for evaluating future change. (ipbes.net)
The 2019 Global Assessment synthesized evidence on nature’s condition, its contributions to people, drivers of change, and possible responses. It estimated that approximately one million animal and plant species were threatened with extinction, many within decades unless pressures were reduced. This estimate concerns extinction risk, not a count of species already lost. The assessment identified five leading direct drivers globally: changes in land and sea use, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution, and invasive alien species. (ipbes.net)
Assessments completed in 2022 examined sustainable use of wild species and the diverse values and valuation of nature. A 2023 assessment addressed invasive alien species and their control. These reports considered distinct aspects of biodiversity management rather than replacing the global assessment. (ipbes.net)
Two further assessments were completed in December 2024. The Nexus Assessment examined interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food, and health. The Transformative Change Assessment examined underlying causes of biodiversity loss, determinants of fundamental change, and options for achieving the 2050 vision for biodiversity. (ipbes.net)
At the twelfth Plenary, held in Manchester from 3 to 8 February 2026, governments accepted the Business and Biodiversity Assessment and approved its summary for policymakers. Prepared by 79 experts from 35 countries, it evaluated business dependencies and impacts on biodiversity and methods for measuring them, alongside options for businesses and other actors. (ipbes.net)
Policy relevance and limits
IPBES supplies an evidence base for governments and biodiversity-related agreements, including the Convention on Biological Diversity. Its remit connects ecological knowledge with decisions concerning conservation, resource use, and development, but assessment findings are not themselves legislation or treaty obligations. The institutional distinction is between evaluating knowledge and choosing policies: governments and other decision-makers retain responsibility for implementation. (akn.ipbes.net)
Assessments explicitly distinguish well-supported findings from uncertainty and identify where further research is needed. Their geographical and thematic scope also matters: global findings provide broad context, while local, national, and regional assessments can address more specific conditions. IPBES encourages assessments at these smaller scales and provides guidance intended to make their methods compatible with larger-scale work. (ipbes.net)