A step change for biodiversity knowledge
04 July 2012 | Article
"The hopes are high for IPBES to become an authoritative global mechanism recognized by scientists and policy makers alike to pull together dispersed information, syntheses and analyses on biodiversity and ecosystems. By building on existing processes and initiatives, and only creating new ones as a last resort in case of glaring gaps, the intention is that decisions and research investment will be more efficient," writes Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN Director General.
"There is no question that there is an impressive amount of knowledge already out there – generated by a wide variety of actors, including governments, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and indigenous communities."
"As a Union comprising government and civil society Members, IUCN is well placed to bring together key actors at all levels. IUCN is a leading provider of biodiversity knowledge, tools and standards used to influence policy, undertake conservation planning and guide action on the ground," says Ms Marton-Lefèvre in a recent article.
"Of course, the biggest challenge for IPBES remains bridging the gap between science and policy makers. As we have seen in the climate change arena, unless we actually follow the recommendations of scientific bodies, we have little hope of tackling the accelerating worldwide loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystem services. Only then can we truly achieve a step change in the way we generate, distribute and use biodiversity knowledge," she concludes.
Read the full article A Step Change for Biodiversity Knowledge written by Ms Marton-Lefèvre on the IISD Biodiversity Policy & Practice knowledgebase.