“On the eve of the launch of two new Assessment Reports by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Biodiversa+ proposes to highlight very concrete actions and results at pan-European* level for the sustainable use of biodiversity and to better take into account the different values of biodiversity.”
On Tuesday 28 June at 9:00 am CEST, one week before the ninth session of the IPBES Plenary at which two new Assessment Reports on “the Diverse Conceptualization of the Multiple Values of Nature and its Benefits” and “Sustainable Use of Wildlife” will be approved, Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership, proposes to put forward concrete actions and results that address the challenges of sustainable use of biodiversity and valuing nature in Europe and beyond.
Biodiversa+ was launched in October 2021. This European partnership builds on the legacy and achievements of Biodiversa, which has already funded 147 transnational research projects through its annual calls for proposals. Biodiversa+ is an active contributor to IPBES across its four functions: assessing knowledge, building capacity, strengthening the knowledge foundations and supporting policy.
The sustainable use of wild species and reflections on the different values of biodiversity are among the main themes addressed by the European Biodiversity Partnership. Four Biodiversa projects will be presented during the press briefing by Frédécric Lemaître, Biodiversa+ science-policy-society senior officer, accompanied by researchers Dr Dagmar Haase, Humboldt University, and Prof Tord Snäll, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Hilde Eggermont, Coordinator and Chair of the European Biodiversity Partnership, will give a brief introduction of Biodiversa+ and collaboration with IPBES.
The Biodiversa-funded projects show that sustainable use of wildlife and consideration of biodiversity values can be powerful levers for biodiversity conservation and for nature-based solutions.
Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership, was launched in October 2021. It builds on over 15 years of legacy and achievements of Biodiversa which has already funded 147 transnational research projects through its annual Calls for Proposals for a total budget of EUR 178 M.Biodiversa+ is co-developed by Biodiversa and the European Commission and is part of the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 to connect science, policy and practice. Biodiversa+’s mission is therefore to promote research that has an impact on society and policy.To help support the overall ambition of the European Biodiversity Strategy 2030 to put nature back on a path to recovery, 73 research policy actors and environmental policy actors from 36 European and associated countries have joined forces under Biodiversa+, mobilising a budget of more than EUR 800 million to implement an ambitious 7-year programme.
Sustainable use of wild species
The sustainable use of wild species is instrumental to sustainable development and human well-being. The 2019 IPBES Global Assessment alerted the world to the fact that direct exploitation of species is one of the main reasons why 1 million plant and animal species are now threatened with extinction.
During this press briefing two projects funded by Biodiversa will be highlighted to illustrating these challenges and possible solutions through nature protection and restoration:
- GreenFutureForest
Scenarios for a sustainable future forest green infrastructure
Wood production is an ecosystem service of major economic importance and a key component of the transition from a fossil- to a bio-based economy. However the intensive utilisation of forests is also a main driver for species’ decline in the EU and globally. GreenFutureForest has produced simulations for land-use, forestry and conservation, from the global to the landscape scale. This work guides forestry and conservation strategies to secure the wood production activities and the viability of forest species.
- BUFFER
Partial Protection Zones as buffers to increase socio-ecological resilience
The world’s coastal zones are among the most affected natural areas on the planet. With increasing population and demand for space and natural resources, we need more than ever innovative solutions to protect these vital coastal areas. Recent studies have shown that Partially Protected Areas (PPAs), i.e. areas that allow for multiple uses, can increase the social and ecological resilience of coastal systems if they are coupled with Fully Protected Areas (FPAs), which are a much more restrictive management regime.
The different values of nature
It is essential to understand the very different ways in which people value nature and the different ways in which these values can be measured and used to support decision-making. Current policies often overlook the diversity of values of nature that benefit both nature and people. To be effective, policy decisions about nature need to be based on a wide range of values and valuation methods. During this press briefing projects funded by Biodiversa will be highlighted to illustrate the importance of valuation in urban planning, as well as decision-making:
- URBES & ENABLE
Installing green and blue infrastructure in complex socio-ecosystems
These projects have advanced the management of urban and peri-urban nature by local authorities in Europe and worldwide, by showing the uses and values of the services rendered, the interesting scales of governance to enable ecological efficiency, and the linking of different cities around their biodiversity management practices and experiences.
- CONNECT
Linking biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services
CONNECT’s work has mapped the supply and demand of ecosystem services in Europe. This work was used by the IPBES for the report on policy support tools and methodologies, but also in the assessment of the IPBES Europe and Central Asia, which published maps of game and gathering species from the project. In addition, the project has highlighted new methods for quantifying the value of ecosystem services in five case studies across Europe, in collaboration with the public.
Slides and recording
Slides can be accessed through this link.
The recording can be watched below or viewed on YouTube.
Requests and queries can be addressed to communication@biodiversa.org or to Coralie Verhaegen, Biodiversa+ Communication Officer, cverhaegen@naturalsciences.be.
*The notion of pan-Europeanism goes beyond the political and geographical borders of the European Union and extends to neighbouring regions and countries.
