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The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): A Progress Report

The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is an independent intergovernmental body dedicated to assessing the state of the planet's biodiversity, its ecosystems and the essential services they provide to society. IPBES works to identify and prioritize key scientific information needed for policymakers; catalyze efforts to generate new knowledge by engaging in dialogue with key scientific organizations, policymakers and funding organizations; perform regular and timely assessments of knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services and their interlinkages;  support policy formulation and implementation by identifying policy-relevant tools and methodologies; and prioritize key capacity-building needs to improve the science-policy interface.

ESA, with support from the National Science Foundation, is working to increase engagement in IPBES by U.S. scientists (see http://esa.org/ipbes/). Following up on presentations at the 2014 Annual Meeting, speakers at this workshop will describe current and upcoming IPBES projects and opportunities to participate as expert panel members, contributors to assessments, and peer reviewers.