The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has announced the supporting technical partners for its forthcoming global assessment on business and biodiversity. 

The UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) has today been named co-host of the Technical Support Unit which, under the leadership of the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute, will provide technical, scientific and administrative support to the new assessment. 
 
Last year, the IPBES Plenary gave the green light for a first of its kind global assessment which would review the relationship between business and biodiversity and provide clear criteria and indicators for measuring the dependence and impact of business on nature. 
 
The assessment comes at a time of unprecedented increase in private sector interest in the relationship between sustainable business and nature, and the dependencies and impacts of business on nature being highlighted in new global biodiversity targets. In the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and package of decisions, adopted at the UN Biodiversity Conference in December 2022, Governments also committed to encourage and enable businesses and to ensure that large and transnational companies “regularly monitor, assess, and transparently disclose their risks, dependencies and impacts on biodiversity”.     

The “IPBES methodological assessment of the impact and dependence of business on biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people” will strengthen the knowledge base to support business efforts towards achieving the Kunming-Montreal biodiversity package.  

Over the next two years the assessment process will be conducted by a dedicated team and experts from around the world, supported by the IPBES Secretariat and the Humboldt Institute and UNEP-WCMC teams.  

UNEP-WCMC works with businesses, governments and financial institutions to understand how sustainable trade and finance is crucial to both economic success and a nature-positive future. We deliver tools and guidance to help businesses and investors assess nature impacts and dependencies. We also work closely with governments and business initiatives such as the Taskforce on Nature-based Financial Disclosure.   

“We are really pleased to join efforts with our long-term partner the Alexander von Humboldt Institute to support experts from around the world deliver this landmark assessment. UNEP-WCMC brings a wealth of experience supporting IPBES processes and we look forward to strengthening our collaboration with the Humboldt Institute with this work” Shaenandhoa García Rangel, Deputy Head of Nature Economy. 

It is expected that the final assessment will be considered and then approved and launched by IPBES Members at the twelfth IPBES Plenary session in 2025.