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PRESS RELEASE<\/strong><\/p>\n Issued by the Secretariat of the\u00a0<\/strong>Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n BONN, 10 June \u2013 Unprecedented changes in climate and biodiversity, driven by human activities, have combined and increasingly threaten nature, human lives, livelihoods and well-being around the world. Biodiversity loss and climate change are both driven by human economic activities and mutually reinforce each other. Neither will be successfully resolved unless both are tackled together. This is the message of a workshop report, published today by 50 of the world\u2019s leading biodiversity and climate experts<\/a>.<\/p>\n The peer-reviewed workshop report is the product of a four-day virtual workshop between experts selected by a 12-person Scientific Steering Committee<\/a> assembled by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES<\/a>) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC<\/a>) \u2013 the first-ever collaboration between these two intergovernmental bodies.<\/p>\n The report finds that previous policies have largely tackled biodiversity loss and climate change independently of each other, and that addressing the synergies between mitigating biodiversity loss and climate change, while considering their social impacts, offers the opportunity to maximize benefits and meet global development goals.<\/p>\n \u201cHuman-caused climate change is increasingly threatening nature and its contributions to people, including its ability to help mitigate climate change. The warmer the world gets, the less food, drinking water and other key contributions nature can make to our lives, in many regions\u201d said Prof. Hans-Otto P\u00f6rtner, co-chair of the Scientific Steering Committee.<\/p>\n \u201cChanges in biodiversity, in turn, affect climate, especially through impacts on nitrogen, carbon and water cycles,\u201d he said. \u201cThe evidence is clear: a sustainable global future for people and nature is still achievable, but it requires transformative change with rapid and far-reaching actions of a type never before attempted, building on ambitious emissions reductions. Solving some of the strong and apparently unavoidable trade-offs between climate and biodiversity will entail a profound collective shift of individual and shared values concerning nature \u2013 such as moving away from the conception of economic progress based solely on GDP growth, to one that balances human development with multiple values of nature for a good quality of life, while not overshooting biophysical and social limits.\u201d<\/p>\n The authors also warn that narrowly-focused actions to combat climate change can directly and indirectly harm nature and vice-versa, but many measures exist that can make significant positive contributions in both areas. Among the most important available actions identified in the report are:<\/p>\n Some focused climate mitigation and adaptation measures identified by the report as harmful to biodiversity and nature\u2019s contributions to people include:<\/p>\n The report authors stress that while nature offers effective ways to help mitigate climate change, these solutions can only be effective if building on ambitious reductions in all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. \u201cLand and ocean are already doing a lot \u2013 absorbing almost 50% of CO2<\/sub> from human emissions – but nature cannot do everything,\u201d said Ana Mar\u00eda Hern\u00e1ndez Salgar, Chair of IPBES. \u201cTransformative change in all parts of society and our economy is needed to stabilize our climate, stop biodiversity loss and chart a path to the sustainable future we want. This will also require us to address both crises together, in complementary ways.\u201d<\/p>\n Highlighting the significance of the co-sponsored workshop, Dr. Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC, said: \u201cClimate change and biodiversity loss combine to threaten society \u2013 often magnifying and accelerating each other. By focusing on synergies and trade-offs between biodiversity protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation, this workshop advanced the debate on how to maximize benefits to people and the planet. It also represented an important step in collaboration between our two communities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt may be impossible to achieve win-win synergies, or even manage the tradeoffs between climate and biodiversity actions in every single patch of a landscape or seascape,\u201d said Prof. P\u00f6rtner, \u201cBut achieving sustainable outcomes becomes progressively easier when integrating a mix of actions at larger spatial scales, through cross-border collaboration and joint consultative spatial planning, which is why it is important to also address the lack of effective governance systems and mechanisms to improve integration between solutions for climate change and biodiversity.\u201d<\/p>\n The Governments of the United Kingdom and of Norway co-hosted the virtual workshop. \u201cThis is an absolutely critical year for nature and climate,\u201d said Lord Zac Goldsmith, UK Minister of State for Pacific and the Environment. \u201cWith the UN Biodiversity Conference<\/a> in Kunming, and the Glasgow Climate Change Conference in the UK<\/a>, we have an opportunity and responsibility to put the world on a path to recovery. This hugely valuable report by the experts of IPBES and IPCC makes it clear that addressing biodiversity loss and climate change together offers our best chance of doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n Sveinung Rotevatn, Norwegian Minister for Climate and Environment added: \u201cPolicies, efforts and actions to solve the global biodiversity and climate crises will only succeed if they are based on the best knowledge and evidence, which is why Norway welcomes this expert workshop report. It is clear that we cannot solve these threats in isolation \u2013 we either solve both or we solve neither.\u201d<\/p>\n Paying tribute to the work of all the authors and expert reviewers, the Executive Secretary of IPBES, Dr. Anne Larigauderie, also recalled the recent and tragic passing of Prof. Robert Scholes, the other Co-Chair of the workshop\u2019s Scientific Steering Committee, and his many contributions to both the IPCC and IPBES.<\/p>\n It is important to note that the workshop report has not been subjected to IPBES or IPCC review, and that IPBES and IPCC co-sponsorship of the workshop does not imply IPBES or IPCC endorsement or approval of the workshop or its conclusions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n –\u00a0 ENDS<\/u>\u00a0 –<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For enquiries please contact:<\/strong><\/p>\n media@ipbes.net<\/a><\/p>\n Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712, tc@tca.tc<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Note to Editors:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Virtual Media Launch: Thursday, 10 June 2021 3pm CEST\/ 2pm BST \/ 9am EDT (For your local time: https:\/\/bit.ly\/3ibnhip<\/a>)<\/p>\n To join the virtual media launch: http:\/\/bit.ly\/BiodiversityClimateLaunch<\/a> \u00a0(Media Only Please \u2013 follow link for short pre-registration to gain access)<\/p>\n The launch will also be broadcast live to the public at: http:\/\/bit.ly\/BDCCSciencePublic<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Tackling Biodiversity & Climate Crises Together and\u00a0<\/em>Their Combined Social Impacts<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Global Experts Identify Key Options for Solutions First-Ever\u00a0<\/em>Collaboration between IPBES and IPCC Selected Scientists<\/em><\/h4>\n
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