The IPBES Guide on the production of assessments
Background
1 Introduction to IPBES
The world’s biodiversity generates a wide range of benefits to society, often termed ecosystem services.[^1] Many of these services are under threat due to unsustainable human practices. Policies for rectifying such practices often benefit from a legitimate and credible bridging of science and policy and the establishment of the confidence level of the knowledge at hand. This is why the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) was established in 2012, inspired by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA).
IPBES aims to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services in order to understand the dynamics in human-nature interactions. It does so by undertaking international assessments and promoting national ones; by catalysing knowledge generation; by promoting the development and use of policy support tools; and by undertaking and facilitating capacity building. It also does so by supporting international initiatives and strategies such as:
- The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN General Assembly; and
- Those under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
Knowledge on how biodiversity contributes to humanity is vital to achieve sustainable development. These contributions termed ecosystem services or nature’s contribution to people are maintained through policies for conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity. IPBES assesses ecosystem services through the lens of nature's contributions to people as anchored in the IPBES Conceptual Framework (CF). The framework models the interactions between people and nature, and presents scientific concepts and parallel notions from indigenous and local knowledge systems under inclusive new concepts (Diaz et. al., 2015). One of the key overarching inclusive concepts is "nature’s contributions to people" (NCP) (Pascual et. al., 2017). It includes and allows for the assessment of both the scientific concept of "ecosystem goods and services" and the notion of "nature's gifts" from indigenous and local knowledge systems. NCP can be beneficial or detrimental to people depending on the cultural context and is assessed from two mutually supportive perspectives: a generalizable and a contextual perspective. The generalizable perspective includes 18 NCP reporting categories organized in three partially overlapping groups: regulating, material and non-material contributions. The contextual perspective caters for the geographical and cultural specificities of indigenous and local knowledge systems. This inclusive approach allows for the reflection of a diverse range of scientific and social disciplines, perspectives and knowledge systems.
IPBES critically evaluates the state of knowledge on the interactions between human societies and the natural world.[^2] An IPBES assessment is initiated by the Plenary and performed by independent experts from multiple disciplines and from all regions of the world who contribute their time freely.[^3] These experts interact with government representatives and other stakeholders in a stepwise process to ensure legitimacy, relevance and credibility. IPBES synthesises and assesses available policy-relevant knowledge regarding biodiversity and its contributions to human well-being in response to requests from governments and other stakeholders. These assessments include a summary for policymakers (SPM), consisting of policy relevant key messages drawn from a report made of detailed technical chapters. The assessment relies on financial and in-kind contributions from governments, experts and partners according to the institutional arrangements and agreed norms.
This Guide aims to help address conceptual, procedural and practical aspects of the IPBES assessments at all scales, and to promote consistency across different scales.[^4] The Guide serves as a ‘Roadmap’ and focuses on key elements assessment practitioners may want to take into account when undertaking an assessment within the context of IPBES.
The Guide has been developed for experts who are taking part in assessments approved under IPBES, be they thematic, methodological or general assessments of biodiversity and ecosystems at global, regional and sub-regional levels. The Guide is also meant to assist those who might want to undertake IPBES inspired assessments at sub-regional, national and local levels and to help ensure that such assessments are compatible with larger scale IPBES completed assessments.
1.1 What is an IPBES assessment?
IPBES assessments synthesize and critically evaluate peer-reviewed scientific literature, grey literature and other available knowledge, such as indigenous and local knowledge. The assessments include a review and synthesis, as well as an analysis and an expert judgement of available knowledge. Experts are guided in this work by a conceptual framework outlining the interaction between people and nature and by guidance on the conceptualization of values of biodiversity and nature's contributions to people. An assessment does not involve the undertaking of new primary research but may include re‑analysis of data and models to address specific questions. Findings should be policy relevant but not policy-prescriptive. They could feed into and be guided by the work on policy support tools and methodologies, including its catalogue.[^5]
IPBES assessments need to be credible, legitimate and relevant. They typically:
- Involve governments and other stakeholders in the initiation, scoping, review and adoption of the assessment reports (this involvement promotes credibility, legitimacy and relevance at policy level);
- Operate through an open and transparent process, run by a group of experts that has a balance of disciplines, geography and gender, and who use agreed conceptual frameworks, methodologies and support tools, as well as are subject to independent peer review (this process promotes credibility, legitimacy and relevance at scientific level); and
- Present findings and knowledge gaps that are policy relevant but not policy prescriptive, where the level of confidence and the range of available views are presented in an unbiased way (this approach promotes relevance at both scientific and policy level).
IPBES assessments not only focus on what is known, but also on what is currently uncertain. Assessments play an important role in guiding policy through identifying areas of broad scientific agreement as well as areas of scientific uncertainty that may need further research.
IPBES may undertake different types of assessments at sub-regional, regional and global levels. It also encourages and helps catalyse other assessments at lower scales, such as those with a local, national and a more limited sub-regional scope. IPBES is currently engaged in, has undertaken or has planned to undertake the following:
Global assessments to assess biodiversity and ecosystem services and their interlinkages at the global scales. The global assessments will draw upon the work undertaken by the regional assessments.
Regional assessments to assess biodiversity and ecosystem services and their interlinkages at the regional and, as necessary, sub-regional levels (e.g., Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe and Central Asia). Regional assessments will provide the building blocks for the global assessments.
Thematic assessments to assess a particular theme at an appropriate scale or a new topic (e.g., assessments of pollinators, pollination and food production, land degradation and restoration, invasive alien species and their control, and sustainable use).
Methodological assessments to assess the availability and use of methods in relation with a specific topic (e.g., values, scenarios and models) so that these methods can then be used in IPBES assessments and other activities.
1.2 What are the operating principles, functions and rules followed by IPBES?
IPBES is defined by a set of operating principles and functions, and is implemented thanks to institutional arrangements, procedure programmes and other resources, as set out in Box 1.1.
The assessment relies on financial and in-kind contributions from governments, experts and partners according to the institutional arrangements and agreed norms.
Objective:
To strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development.
Operating principles:
IPBES addresses terrestrial, marine and inland water biodiversity and ecosystem services and their interactions, ensuring the Platform’s credibility, relevance and legitimacy, as well as promoting its independence.
The Principles further include: facilitating an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach; engaging with different knowledge systems, including indigenous and local knowledge; recognizing the need for gender equity in its work; ensuring full and effective participation of developing countries; ensuring the full use of knowledge gained at all spatial scales, from local to global; integrating capacity-building into all relevant aspects of its work; and promoting a collaborative approach which builds on existing initiatives and experiences.
Functions - Catalyse the generation of new knowledge to address gaps in knowledge identified in IPBES assessments. - Deliver global, regional, sub-regional and thematic assessments, and promote and facilitate assessments at the national level at the same time. | - The development and use of policy support tools and methodologies so that assessment results can be more effectively applied. - Identify and prioritize capacity building needs for improving the science-policy interface at appropriate levels, and provide, call for and facilitate access to the necessary resources for addressing the highest priority needs directly relating to its activities.
Institutional arrangements
Procedures, programmes and other resources - Rules of procedure for the Plenary - Financial procedures - Procedure for receiving and prioritizing requests put to the platform - The work programme - Conceptual framework - Procedures for the preparation of Platform deliverables - Guidelines on how to carry out work in the context of IPBES (assessments, scenarios, valuation) - Catalogues (of assessments and policy support tools) - Information and data management plan - Strategic partnerships - Stakeholder engagement and outreach
2 The IPBES assessment process
An IPBES assessment report is the result of a staged process designed to produce an enhanced understanding of knowledge needs and policy opportunities among actors in science and policy. This chapter presents the different stages involved in performing an IPBES assessment (see Figure 2.1).
- Requests and scope
- Expert evaluation of the state of knowledge
- Approval/acceptance
- Use of the assessment findings
