The host country this time was Azerbaijan, and by default, the delegate management, public transportation, security, communication was highly controlled by the administration. For the convenience of foreigners, hundreds of English-speaking volunteers were deployed, which was much appreciated.

Outcomes from the first week

The first week usually serves as an icebreaker for the second week of the COP. The main inputs for the final outcomes and the “all agree” state are created in the second week. As we both have the luck to participate in the 1st week of the COP, we will present some important recap of the COP 29 week 1.

Please keep an eye on another blog by Hannah & Anna for an overview of the final outcomes of the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29).

• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs):
  • Several countries’ ministries have announced their next targets and achievements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While some sounded very lucrative and overwhelming, many states are starting their journey from the ground up. The United Kingdom announced to reduce 81% of their emissions, while Indonesia introduced their new reduction plan that they’re ready to implement from 2025.
• Article 6 (always controversial):
  • The biggest progress was made in week 2, but the start of the COP with the presidency leaning more toward optimizing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and its fast-tracking is drawing widespread criticism.
• Climate finance:
  • the new collective unified goal (NCG) was released in the first week, recognizing indigenous peoples’ climate stokeholds with benefits with biodiversity, land and sustainable development. The technicality was not beyond the disagreement, whether the technicality and structure of the goals are realistic and in what scale had remained for the following week of negotiations.
• Energy pledges:
  • At the end of the week, the COP presidency lunched on two energy pledges in an effort to boost the negotiations that have dragged on from the COP28 energy package.
    • Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge: Aims to expand global energy storage to 1500 GW by 2030 and improve grids, which are critical to tripling renewables and decarbonizing electricity.
    • Green Energy Zones and Corridors Pledge: Promotes regional and international cooperation on renewable energy and electricity infrastructure, but must not be used to expand gas infrastructure.
    • Hydrogen Declaration: Aims to boost the global clean hydrogen market with a focus on low-cost green hydrogen, which is critical for industrial decarbonization without delaying the phase-out of fossil fuels.

The 29th summit of 197 countries cannot take place without major disagreements and setbacks. For example, the new target of mobilizing 300 billion US dollars by 2035 does not seem satisfactory for developing countries in terms of climate finance. In addition, the reduction of fossil fuel subsidies was not addressed at this COP. Re-evolution of the Lima work project and more gender mainstreaming strategies are needed.

Path towards Belem, COP30:

The drawbacks directed and indeed highlighted new issues that need to focus on the next COP in Brazil!

For instance, global energy storage and grids: Continue the commitment to expand global energy storage to 1500GW by 2030 and improve grids, which are critical to tripling renewables and decarbonizing energy.
Green energy zones and corridors: Promoting regional and international cooperation on renewables and electricity infrastructure, while ensuring that gas infrastructure expansion is curbed.

On the other hand, on our opinion the next COP should focus on the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, including the development and approval of crediting methodologies to ensure the integrity and transparency of carbon markets.

GCEs Personal Experience:

HAMMAD: Attending COP29 in Baku as a Master’s student in Global Change Ecology was eye-opening. The high-level negotiations in the Blue Zone provided a behind-the-scenes look at climate policy development. Navigating this fast-paced environment was both fascinating and overwhelming. Conversely, the Green Zone was more accessible, with interactive exhibits and panel discussions on grassroots climate action and technological advances. A highlight was networking with scientists, policymakers, and activists, especially at the Pakistan Pavilion, where I discussed my country’s climate resilience efforts. An outstanding event was a roundtable discussion at the Action on Food Pavilion with farmer representatives, members of Save Soil, and experts from the Ocean Pavilion. It highlighted the need for policies that link agriculture and ocean conservation, ensuring food security while protecting natural resources. Including farmers in climate discussions is crucial, as they bear the brunt of climate impacts.

WRISHAV: In spite of all the administration and the series of multiple events at the COP, I personally got overwhelmed at first, but at the same time I enjoyed the whole 4 days more and more as I got used to it. My first day was very smooth thanks to my colleague Hammad and his effort to describe the different venues to me as he has previous experience. Later, I found myself very excited about the side events in the pavilions. In fact, it was an honor to participate in several group discussions with many scientists and experienced scholars and to listen to their perspectives at the same time. The side event discussions are an absolute place to discover your interest and network with many scientists after the event is over. The negotiations were hard to follow, but watching some of the most controversial paragraphs, i.e. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, being created and modified in the specific way under the guidance of the think tanks of the countries is exciting. I highly doubt my perspective on the processes of these big agreements if I couldn’t watch this.

The post Baku COP 29: First Week in Review – A Look Back After Four Months appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

(Some) outcomes of COP29

As COP 29 (like all COPs) was very large, with many negotiations and other events going on in parallel, it was difficult for us as observers to understand what was agreed. A structured overview of the outcomes is only possible with the help of additional research, such as Carbon Brief’s website, where both summaries and details can be found. A brief overview based on our experience is provided here.

First, although the newspapers may give the impression that COPs in general are mostly failures, with rich nations failing to live up to their commitments, there have been breakthroughs. In a highly complex system like the UN, where nearly 200 countries with different challenges, values and priorities are trying to agree on basic guidelines for the future, seemingly small decisions are major achievements. Faced with the daunting challenges of climate change, the COP is attempting to tackle individual components of the problem and break them down into tasks and specific actions.

Moreover, since we don’t have a world government, the UNFCCC can “only” outline priorities and urgent issues that national governments must pursue. Nevertheless, there are many mechanisms in place to support compliance and make non-compliance unattractive, and the framework set at COPs is a powerful tool for streamlining a global pathway for action. The focus of this year’s COP was on finance, and a new quantified target on finance was advanced. The so-called ‘developed countries’ agreed to channel at least $300 billion per year to the so-called developing countries by 2035. In addition, $1.3 trillion will be raised each year by 2035 from a variety of sources, including the private sector. Many of the key results were achieved in last-minute negotiations.

Another important issue at this year’s COP was the discussion on how to follow up on the results of the global stocktake that will be completed in 2023. Unfortunately, no concrete plan was agreed on how to move forward on this issue.

On the other hand, progress was made on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which deals with market-based solutions such as carbon pricing and trading. Rules were formulated for country-to-country trading and the international carbon market, as well as standardized crediting criteria.

Our COP experience 

Negotiations

After attending the COP, the negotiations were the topic we got asked about the most. Given the peculiar, legal language of the UNFCCC, the fact that individual negotiations addressed only tiny aspects of the Paris Agreement and the UN Convention, and that many breakthroughs were made in closed-door negotiations at night, it is not surprising that our understanding of the substance of the negotiations remained limited.

Nevertheless, we were deeply impressed to see the whole world literally gathered around one big table. Countries at war with each other were able to participate and contribute to the dialogue. Every country had an equal right to speak, although structural constraints such as the number of negotiators that countries could afford to send to the COP left room for unequal conditions. Considering the huge amount of specific knowledge, tasks and sleepless nights that have to be shared within the delegations, being able to send 5 people instead of 100 is a big disadvantage.

Observing the negotiations has taught us that premature judgments about seemingly non-compliant countries are mostly the result of a lack of knowledge about the individual situations, political systems, and challenges in those countries. While some countries find it relatively easy to promise climate actions that are popular among climate activists (such as net-zero pledges) and then sell these ideas to their own national governments and populations, others face national resistance, instability, and political unpredictability. While some have adopted a strategy of promising little but having a high probability of delivering, others are making more ambitious pledges that may have a lower chance of being delivered. Both strategies were visible during the negotiations and gained more recognition from our sides because of the insider perspective we gained. After all, the countries that don’t want to do anything about climate change don’t waste time and resources going to the COP. So (almost) everyone who was in Baku was there because they see the importance of climate change and want to do something about it.

Panel Discussions

But the biggest part of our COP experience was the side events, often panel discussions. Typically, scientists, activists, politicians, or experts would gather and discuss a particular topic under the leadership of a chair. Topics ranged from the struggles of indigenous peoples, to plastic pathways in China, to a new online tool for calculating the remaining fossil fuel budget for countries and regions of the world.

Some panel discussions were simply people presenting their views, while others were more controversial. The panels were an opportunity to connect the abstract negotiations and policies of the UNFCCC to the work on the ground. For example, during the panel with the new director of the Loss and Damage Fund, community leaders were able to share their views on the accessibility and future design of the fund. Questions from the audience were usually answered at the end, where, for example, a hydropower expert from Germany involved in a project in South America was able to hear the critical voices of local and indigenous people that he would not normally hear in his daily life. Because of encounters like these, we often found the panel discussions and side events to be the most fruitful for us and for the overall goal of connecting different stakeholders and sharing knowledge.

Pavilions

Each country, group of countries (e.g. African Union) and other interest groups (OPEC) had a pavilion. Often the pavilions reflected some cultural features of the country and were nicely decorated. Besides the popular free coffee, interesting events took place there. In addition, smaller countries had the opportunity to present themselves and offer traditional food and other information about their country. We visited the German pavilion, the EU pavilion, the UNFCCC pavilion, the Nordic pavilion and the UK pavilion. In addition to ministerial speeches, there were panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and workshops. Countries could also give their space to groups that didn’t have their own pavilion, such as the German pavilion, which hosted a dialogue among young indigenous women from Latin America (See image above).

In the Nordic pavilion, parliamentarians from Sweden and Norway had a very inspiring dialogue on how to support a transition to sustainable consumption. A topic that seems to be moving rather slowly in Germany and much faster in Nordic countries like Sweden or Norway, so it was very interesting to get an insight into their methods and narratives. In the UNFCCC pavilion, small island states like Niue and the Maldives, as well as larger economies with a high dependence on the ocean, like Colombia, were able to share their knowledge on how to live with their natural resources and learn from each other. Overall, the pavilions were a good place to come together and network, whether over coffee, a pub quiz or a panel discussion.

Press Conferences

Another part of our COP experience were the press conferences. Every day there were many different press conferences held by many different groups. Countries or groups of countries, mainly for their national press, and other big players like the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) or WWF were groups we expected to have press conferences. But there were also some unexpected press conferences. For example, the NGO Solar Cookers International was surprisingly prevalent in the press conference schedule. We attended several press conferences: one held by the COP Presidency, Azerbaijan, one held by the European Union, and one held by Germany.

Since press conferences are something familiar from television and other events, it was very interesting to experience them in person. The rooms were filled with reporters and there was a lot of live TV coverage. After the first statements were read by the politicians, it was the journalists’ turn to ask questions. It was very interesting to hear how detailed the statements were and how the politicians answered the questions.

On the one hand, these press conferences were an opportunity for us to keep up with the progress of the negotiations that the leaders were conducting behind closed doors. On the other hand, they were also a great opportunity for us to get to know public figures like Annalena Baerbock in real life (see below). But it was not only the press conferences that were widely covered. Young journalists worked all over the venue, and although they were not allowed into some of the events, such as the negotiations, they often stood in the halls giving interviews or doing live coverage. Overall, the press conferences were a very interesting part of the COP experience because we were able to see what everyone else was watching at home.

People’s plenary

Almost by accident, we stumbled upon the People’s Plenary. Unlike almost all the other events, this one was for people who weren’t represented by country delegations. It was a space for all the voices that weren’t heard in the negotiations. Throughout COP29, you could see many indigenous people walking around, as well as many other groups protesting for stronger climate policies. They all came together in the Peoples’ Plenary, calling for climate justice and more action from policymakers. Unlike all the other events, the contributions to the People’s Plenary were very emotional, which was reflected by the audience. By the end, everyone was singing and dancing and the atmosphere was great.

National statements 

Finally, the National Declarations were also an important part of COP29. Beginning in the first week, these statements are an opportunity for participating countries to share their views, priorities, and commitment to fighting climate change. One by one, representatives took the stage to read their statements. Several countries announced their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), often pledging more ambitious climate targets or increased contributions to climate finance. In turn, more vulnerable countries from the group of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) or Least Developed Countries (LDCs) emphasized the existential threat they face from the climate crisis and their demand for climate justice.

It was particularly interesting to see statements from countries at war read out in close proximity. The statements were also an opportunity to highlight innovative solutions or partnerships that individual countries are pursuing. But these statements were not just declarations of intent, they set the tone for the negotiations and influenced the overall direction of COP29. This was clearly seen in the financial language of many of the statements, in light of this year’s COP being dubbed the “Finance COP”.

Our statement and experience

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at COP29 in Baku. It was deeply inspiring to see so many people, politicians, delegates, activists, vulnerable people, and observers alike, come together to fight for a more sustainable future, despite all the differences on the outside. Our time there gave us a newfound respect for people who work tirelessly to negotiate agreements that everyone can live with. The achievement of a successful agreement at the end of the conference can be easily overlooked when following the conference in the news. We take this inspiration and momentum back to Bayreuth to work for a better future.

The post GCE at COP 29: Experiences, Outcomes, and Key Takeaways appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

Writing about the one COP seems impossible since there is not just one. I would say there are at least four COPs happening.

1. The real-COP: Beyond the surface of speeches and political posturing, this event is the “Conference of the Parties” for UN climate treaties. The negotiations that are happening whether something like “fossil fuel phase out” should be in the text or not, whether certain technologies count as clean and so on. This paragraph-pushing patience exercise is at the core of the conference. While it may sound tedious discussing one verb for an hour, the result could differentiate between legally binding or not and we have to value the democratic process, as slow and as minimal consensus as it may be.
2. The Dubai-COP: The fact that the climate conference is happening in a non-democratic, oil-rich nation, with over 2500 fossil fuel lobbyists whose presence was noticed, but under the radar of many. The Dubai-COP also included honorary guests such as “greenwashing”, “bigger COP = better COP?” and free public transport. 
3. The event-COP: Almost 100.000 people attended COP28. This is by far the largest UN gathering that ever happened and while a proportion definitely were focussed on the main part, “the real COP”, lots of efforts were poured into side events, plenaries, workshops and likewise. Basically like an industry conference where relevant players from NGOs, businesses and politics came together to form new collaboration networks and share their insights into the many-faceted problems of climate change. This is also the place where countless politicians pledge this or condemn that, which gets a lot of the media attention in the end.
4. The “my-COP”: This is the so-to-say personal event, with all the people you interacted with, the events you visited, how good your coffee was and which negotiation track you followed (it really changes your mood when after many hours one country blocks all the changes made in the last day and postpones the decision to next year).

Everybody has their own experience with all the different COPs and what follows will be some individual perspectives and :

Yanna: The moment I learned that GCE sends students to the COP every year I knew this was something I wanted to do, and I was not disappointed – it was an extraordinary experience. We were warned beforehand that it would be a bit overwhelming, and that was 100% true (I don’t think I’ve ever been as tired as I was after the first full conference day!). But I also found it incredibly inspiring. There is a huge amount of work being done worldwide to combat climate change, by a huge number of passionate, talented people. The media headlines usually make for gloomy reading, and negotiations are certainly an exercise in patience, but the fact that more than 150 nations, with all their differences in culture, national priorities, wealth, etc., can come to any agreements at all is arguably a cause for celebration. And, greenwashing or not, the fact that Dubai took on the hosting role shows that this issue is finally getting the spotlight on the world stage, even though there are plenty who would rather ignore it.

Honestly, there were many favourite moments – but a memorable one was attending a talk given by Al Gore where he unveiled Climate TRACE’s work on an independent, global analysis of emissions worldwide using satellite data. 

Challengings was answering the question ‘and what do you do?’. Of course students and academics in general are an integral part of the COP’s Observers, but I often felt intimidated when talking to people who are actively working on something truly impactful. Another challenge was finding delegates from countries that don’t have their own pavilions… some nations are better represented (and have louder voices) than others.

Attending the COP was an unbelievable privilege. It was also great fun to explore a new country, see the sun in the middle of European winter and, most of all, share the experience with some of the lifelong friends I’ve made through GCE!  

Once again, a huge thank you to the GCE Coordination who did everything possible to make this happen for us and also helped us along the way!

Anna: Let me add more details and share some of my experiences at COP28.

The COP venue has the so-called Green Zone which is the zone managed by the COP28 Presidency (in this case the United Arab Emirates), and the Blue Zone which is the UNFCCC-managed site. All the international protests and formal negotiations were held in the Blue Zone, and the accreditation badge is needed to enter this space. I have spent the majority of my time at COP28 in the Blue Zone besides some receptions in the Green Zone. However, many worthy events were located in the Green Zone, and it is more easily accessible for those who have not had a chance to receive “the magical badge”.

The pavilions of the countries were also situated in the Blue Zone and many of the side events held in such pavilions captured my attention. I can really recommend side events for powerful networking opportunities and expanding your contacts. When it comes to following the formal negotiations, I decided to focus on the process related to global stocktake. This was the first ever global stocktake taking place at a COP, and I thought that this was a unique event I was interested in most. 

It can be very much advised to pick a topic one would like to follow and research the materials on it in advance so that the respective talks at COP are understandable. But, how do you prepare yourself if a COP is such a huge event and you cannot even choose which sphere you are most interested in? That is a rhetorical question.

When it comes to my experience with following the process of global stocktake, there was one main draft document that I was reading in between the events and on public transport. I remember that there were some High-Level Events that were not open to the public, but I managed to follow the online translations on the COP28 virtual platform. That was a big win because I know that some participants did not even know about the existence of this platform, or they could not log into the system with their credentials.

Then, I remember how I was standing in a long line to one of the rooms hosting the global stocktake discussion and reading that one document, and then the online translation stopped because the representatives of the countries gathered in a big crowd in the middle of the room negotiating without their microphones. Many observers were not let into that room. After that, there was shocking news spreading around: the countries had decided to cancel the whole document and start it over from scratch! Wow, such a turn…

If you want to learn more about the documents and the negotiations, you are very welcome to join the regular meetings of your respective constituency of the UNFCCC. For GCE it is RINGO (Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organisations). It is very beneficial when you can cooperate with the other RINGO members to form chats on particular documents to share draft documents, analyze the outcomes of negotiations, and help each other to become smarter. For instance, the RINGO group on global stocktake was very helpful. But, you may also participate in the events of the other constituencies if you wish, e.g. YOUNGO. 

Gabriela: I participated in the second week and could observe the fatigue among attendees as the event drew to a close. Members were to focus on maximising progress in the conference’s final days with intensive work schedules and prolonged closed-door negotiations in the pursuit of a substantial outcome.

My favourite moment was the acknowledgment of agriculture and food systems as pivotal components in climate action represented a significant paradigm shift, because, historically, discussions have been predominantly centred around carbon dioxide emissions. This time, the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action marked a notable shift towards the acknowledgment of Methane emissions. This declaration emphasises the importance to integrate agriculture and food systems into broader climate mitigation strategies, highlighting food security, and environmental sustainability. As someone with a deep interest in this subject, witnessing this collective commitment was inspiring. Furthermore, the pavilions I visited had varied topics and the ones about the intersection of food and health catched my attention, where I engaged in stimulating discussions and forged valuable connections.

I recognized the need for greater preparedness among GCE students attending such big events. Understanding how to follow the negotiation dynamics, about networking strategies and side events would enrich the participation of students as observers and the possible impact their attendance could bring. Despite the challenges and frustrations encountered during negotiations, the COP highlights the importance of collaboration among the parties and diplomacy. 

Yuyang: Attending COP was an extremely amazing experience! It was so amazing to meet people from the whole world at such a small place (even though the venue is actually quite huge) and to see the diverse cultures. I was really amazed by how all the different countries use the same language. Here I do not just mean English, but the vocabulary people use to talk about climate change, carbon neutrality, renewable energy ect. Besides, this experience helped me to find out the topic for my master thesis. Therefore, I am very grateful that as a GCE student we can get such precious opportunities.

There are several things I found interesting. First was the conversation with a
‘special guest’ of the president of the COP28 from Saudi Arabia, who had been a negotiator for his country for almost three decades but was already retired. He spoke very frankly about how he does not believe in climate change and his negative feelings towards the west. Another one was during a side event, while talking about why the measures are taken so slowly,  a panellist quoted ‘no decisions can be made in an AC room’. It was funny and very relatable because everyone was freezing in the heavily air conditioned conference  rooms.

The challenge for me in the beginning was to schedule my day so that I wouldn’t waste any time. With so many events going on everyday, it was a bit overwhelming and I had to make the schedule the night before. I gradually learned not to be greedy, it was the quality rather than the quantity that matters. Another challenge was trying to make my experience more meaningful, not only for me, but also for other people. To be honest, I still have not figured it out.

… 

Back in the lecture halls of Bayreuth it is easy to forget that for thousands of people it is their daily job to negotiate daily within those international frameworks where we got a glimpse into. More importantly, for millions of people, climate change has profound daily impacts and we should not forget to take home the inspirations and momentum gathered from conferences and translate it into actions, motivation to keep going and hope. In a slightly updated John Lennon phrase: “Climate Change is what happens to us, while we are busy making other plans”.

Authors:

Flemming Ostermann, Yanna Raykov, Anna Mishakina, Gabriela Paz, Yuyang Li

Further reading

The post Behind the Scenes at COP28 in Dubai: Perspectives from GCE Students appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

An engaging program

The program offered a diverse range of workshops, podium discussions, skill-building sessions, and lectures on various topics. The event provided opportunities for networking through snack tables, workshops, and open discussion formats. In the evening, there were fun meeting programs such as speed dating, board games, and a science slam where scientists presented their research in a quick and humorous way.

With hundreds of possible options to choose from, I sometimes felt overwhelmed, but I was able to attend some activities that were valuable to me. One workshop that I particularly enjoyed was about constructive journalism, which provided practical information on climate communication to the public – a skill that may be just as critical as climate research itself.

Different views

During an event, I had the opportunity to personally meet the ambassador of the United Arab Empire. We discussed the upcoming COP28 (2023) in Dubai and exchanged views about the representation of the global south, the expectations of the host nation, and the interplay of diplomacy, geopolitics, and climate action. Despite the nation’s reputation as an oil-rich country, I found it interesting to have a face-to-face conversation about these issues. It was fascinating to observe how diplomats and politicians can talk about something without saying much. When I asked about behaviour changes and disruptive transformations, the ambassador’s response was deeply rooted in the current system logic along the lines of “technology will save us”. Although this was partly frustrating, I felt that everyone ended up learning something from each other.

It was truly inspiring to witness young people from diverse backgrounds actively participating in discussions, workshops, and panels with an incredible level of knowledge about sustainability. Even high school students, as young as 17 years old, were able to comprehend and effectively communicate the urgency of environmental problems to older politicians, which gave me hope for the future. Overall, the LCOY was a weekend well spent with great company, valuable insights, and engaging discussions. It was a reminder that each one of us can be an agent of change!

The post Empowering the Young – Visiting the LCOY Climate Conference 2023 appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

The year 2022 is key for biodiversity

Given the fact that the 2020 Global Biodiversity Targets have largely failed, it is crucial for the global society to rebuild confidence and look into the next decade with new ambition and strategies. Just like the Paris Agreement, adopted by the UNFCCC, the CBD COP 15 has aimed to achieve an agreement on a Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) based on the consensus of all Parties, with the vision of halting and reversing the trend of biodiversity loss by 2030. In July 2021, the first version of GBF was drafted by an Open-Ended Working Group, and, prior to the Conference, there had been five working group meetings to improve and finalize the draft. Some focus items have continued challenging the process of formulating the final version of the GBF. They were considered as keys for a successful outcome of the Conference and include: the global biodiversity framework itself; resource mobilization; digital sequence information on genetic resources; planning, monitoring, reporting and review within an associated monitoring framework; capacity building and development; and, technical and scientific cooperation.

Beyond the negotiation tables,hundreds of side events took place in parallel hosted by the COP 15 observer organizations. Their topics addressed and covered all aspects related to biodiversity crisis. Some issues were repeatedly heard during my stay, such as the urgent need to shift away from business as usual towards nature-positive results and to strive for a whole-society approach for innovative and collaborative solutions.

My experience at the conference

My particular interest lies in the civil society organizations and groups’ positions and actions demonstrated at the conference. There were booths of these major groups, including Youth, NGOs, Women, Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs), Business and Finance, etc., where these respective actors were able to share their work and stories, organize public awareness campaigns, and gather like-minded stakeholders to expand networks. I still remember a thought-provoking speech held by a representative of African indigenous people and local communities on biodiversity conservation and sustainable resources use. In fact, 80% of the world’s biodiversity are found in indigenous land. The people in local communities know the right ways to protect nature in their land, but often their concerns are not being heard and understood, and conservation fundings that go into their hands are not sufficient. What still needs to be improved is to ensure a legal framework to safeguard their proper livelihood and rights to manage resources.

My personal understanding of the term “biodiversity conservation” has also been deepened and further developed during the this COP. It refers to a value and lifestyle. The means of biodiversity conservation should not only be based on science, but also based on learning and respecting the diverse cultures and knowledge of those who are the real stewards of nature.

Insights on the outcome of COP15

On the 17^th, the two divided working groups and the Ministers appointed to lead consultants on outstanding issues reported their updates for the last time during the Stocktake Plenary before reaching the Decision Plenary set on the 19^th. After a 4-year marathon of negotiations, the Parties with differences in interests and priorities gradually compromised with each other and chose to stick to the strong ambition and work together to bring the common goals to fruition. 40 hours later, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was finally adopted, safeguarding the key targets of “protecting 30% of Earth’s lands, oceans, coastal areas, inland waters; reducing by $500 billion annual harmful government subsidies; cutting food waste in half; mobilizing at least $200 billion per year in domestic and international biodiversity-related funding from all sources ” by 2030.

Conclusion

Being able to witness part of this whole negotiation process was not only an eye-opening experience, but it made me realize that it is not impossible for the global society to fight against the greatest environmental crisis and protect our only homeland together. Although it is a tough and long journey to implement the new framework, it is the time to start to respect nature, and not let nature make compromise to us.

The post Inside COP15: The Way to Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

Prior to last year’s COP in Glasgow, expectations were quite high as the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with strengthened emission reduction targets were to be presented there. Although this year’s event was supposed to be the implementation COP, the expectations and the associated excitement were not felt as strongly. Even during the run-up, there were many critical voices questioning whether the conference would succeed in achieving an outcome that would actually lead to action.

So, what did happen in Sharm-el-Sheikh?

The Egyptian Presidency put the highly important issue of “loss and damage”, i.e., the financing of compensation for developing countries for the climate damage caused mainly by industrialised countries, on the agenda. The good and extremely important outcome that followed, the establishment of a Loss and Damage Fund, was a victory for which vulnerable countries and their populations have fought for years. Work must now begin on the structure of the fund, its administration, governance, and the mobilisation of much-needed resources. However, in the negotiations, it was mainly the representatives of the wealthy countries who slowed down and blocked unprecedented measures in the areas of support for people displaced by climate-related extreme events, strong and transparent governance of carbon markets, and the phase-out of all fossil fuels. There are some good sources that describe in more detail the decisions and outcomes that (did not) take place. Some recommendations** can be found below. At the same time, however, this emphasis on the Loss and Damage also distracted from the immediate need to phase out the use of fossil fuels. The strong presence of representatives from the fossil fuel lobby, who also became heavily involved in the negotiations, was quite sobering.  

For us, the whole conference was quite overwhelming: It was the biggest COP in terms of people attending. As expected, this COP was used by Egypt as kind of a green-, youth- and human rights- washing event. If you approached the event with the naive belief that the host would attempt to provide a best practice of a sustainable conference, you were quickly brought back down to earth – considering, for example, the severely chilled premises contrasting with an outside temperature of 30 °C, the catering sponsored by CocaCola, organizers not using the event to brief the broader civil society concerning the climate crisis, and the mode of travel of most participants by plane, including some by private jet. In addition to the negotiations, which we were mostly unable to follow – either because they were too crowded and there was no more room for observers or because the discussions focused on details that were too specific to jump in without a particular background – there was an incredible number of extremely exciting, very inspiring, and sometimes highly emotional side events at the various country, project, and organisation pavilions. We tried to make the most out of the opportunity being COP observers through participating in numerous panel discussions, workshops, and expert talks in order to gain new scientific and social insights, make contacts for potential Master’s theses or internships, extend our network, and get to know further institutions and projects.

So, is it all that bad?

Although many aspects of our time in Egypt and at the COP were very frustrating (starting with the search for accommodation, as accommodation was repeatedly cancelled or special COP participant fees were charged, cancelled flights, the restrictions during protesting on the COP venue and the situation of human rights in Egypt reported by Egyptian human rights activists or general civil society), there were also hopeful encounters. Even though the negotiators still seem to have missed the urgency of the climate crisis, outside the formal negotiations there were clear and consistent messages about the urgency of climate action from scientists, NGOs, and climate activists. They rallied at the event to gather in small, peaceful protests. For the first time, there was a children and youth pavilion at a COP, which hosted the most frequented events and provided a learning and exchange platform for a huge number of well-educated, highly interested, and motivated young people taking the climate crisis serious giving hope that things will change in the future.

So, in order not to become too cynical, we would like to mention what good things also happened: The global energy crisis was widely acknowledged, parties were asked to seriously update their NDCs, a reduction in methane emissions was called for, the importance of forests was acknowledged (yipiieh), great value was placed on the global goal of adaptation, work on a just transition was taken forward, references to the new right to a healthy environment took place, and the revised text at least contains a nice little sentence about the oceans (whoopwhoop). However, if truth be told, things by and large did not really evolve beyond what we saw in Glasgow 2021. In fact, a lot of the final text was just copy and paste of the Glasgow decisions or the Paris Agreement 2015 with a few changes here and there. Figuratively speaking: Things that were already agreed were re-packaged and re-gifted.

Fortunately, during the first week, it was possible to arrange a meeting with Hon. Prof. Dr. Charlotte Streck, Co-Founder of Climate Focus and external lecturer at the University of Bayreuth, who provided us with answers to many burning questions about the COP and gave us a better overview of this huge event and all that is happening there. She confirmed our impression that “it [NDCs, the global finance goal] is all so far up [intangible], that in some way it becomes meaningless”. Sofía Gutiérrez, climate activist from Colombia, also explained our feelings well by saying: “We are good in creating new words”.

So, what have we taken away from all of this?

Action is needed! The activism driven daily, especially by international youth, motivates and creates hope. We are extremely grateful that our study programme has given us the opportunity for this experience, which is denied to many others, esp. those from groups and territories disproportionately affected by climate change (MAPA). But almost more important for us than simply being present at the COP is to “take home” the activism and put pressure on those who are stopping the process towards a climate-friendly, promising future for all.This might be in the form of protests or founding initiatives, but also further scientific involvement or hands-on work in one of the many great and inspiring projects or organisations that are already out there, or working daily for the transition to a more just and sustainable world.

Don’t hesitate to contact us in case of any further insights regarding our experiences at the COP27.

*Attendees

Week 1: Johannes Hendrik Lindes de Waal, Alina J. Domdey, Helen Giesecke, Susanne Grünewald, Sunil K.C., Alba Ortiz Naumann, Emelie Schuster, Christopher Shatto, Samip Narayan Shrestha, Tabitha Stimpfle, Veronica Vasilica, Vincent Wilkens

Week 2: Mehriban Aliyeva, Tolulope Israel Aluko, Mohamed Ibrahim, Mira Rodrian, Katja Scharrer, Clarissa Schmelzle, Justine Quast, Priscila Tamayo, Zachary Zeller, Sandra Zimmermann, Charlotte Müller

**Further reading

• “COP27 key outcomes: progress on compensation for developing countries, but more needed on climate justice and equity” (The Conversation)
• “COP27 RESCUED IN OVERTIME WITH AN AGREEMENT TO SET UP A FUND TO ADDRESS CLIMATE LOSS AND DAMAGE” (Climate Action Network Europe)
• ECO Newsletter for an update on each day of the COP27 (Climate Action Network International)

The post From Bayreuth to Sharm-el-Sheikh: GCEs at COP27 appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

The first LCOY Germany took place in Heidelberg in 2019. This year, four GCE students attended the 5^th edition in Lüneburg from October 28^th to 30^th. The three days in Northern Germany included many experts, inspiring workshops, exciting discussions, concentrated knowledge, and lots of fun! This year’s LCOY at Leuphana University of Lüneburg presented a variety of climate-related topics (e.g., COP27 & climate international, Connect & create, Climate Science, Culture & Society, Politics up close, Skill building, Economy, Market of Opportunities) in diverse ways and through a wide range of formats such as panel discussions, simulation games, discussion rounds, lectures, workshops, keynotes and a diverse supporting programme, so that there was really something for everyone. Organised by a team of volunteers all under the age of 28 years, the conference was fully funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment covering expenses on breakfast, lunch, dinner as well as accommodation for all participants. The conference was framed by a musical, artistic, playful programme with, among other things, (science) poetry slams, DJ, live band, movie night, jam sessions, improv theatre, power point karaoke, various community games, and bedtime stories.

The participants were free to choose from the diverse programme without registering for the single items. The conference mobile app was very helpful to keep an overview, although there were often so many interesting things offered at the same time that the decision was not always easy. After participating, we – the GCE students that attended the conference – were very enthusiastic and agreed that those days in Lüneburg created a hopeful perspective facing the climate crisis due to seeing and meeting the large number of young, interested, motivated, informed, and like-minded people. One key takeaway is the huge amount of knowledge that already exists, which should be shared openly, be used, and be translated into joint actions. Furthermore, the panel discussions, where representatives from different backgrounds (e.g., entrepreneurs, politicians, scientists, or activists) argued authentically, were very inspiring. In addition, we learned a lot through the skill building workshops that provided us methods on how to communicate the climate crisis properly or engaging tools that were already useful for the first meeting of the newly initiated GCE Hub*. Unfortunately, most programme items are held in German language (except from contributions such as “WTF – Where is the finance? Adaptation to climate change, the failure(s) of the Global North and other problems” or the panel discussion including the Egyptian and British embassy “Road from Glasgow to Sharm-el-Sheikh”) which might make attending the conference unattractive for non-German speaking students.

All in all, we would highly recommend attending future LCOYs to anyone who would like to get ready to participate in a COP, exchange ideas on climate-related issues and potential actions, broaden their knowledge of current climate science, meet relevant stakeholders from politics, economy, NGOs, and research, spend an inspiring and fun weekend in a new environment, or connect with other young, inspiring people who want to change the world for the better!

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My conference experience

As in 2020, ESOF was held as a hybrid event. As a grantee, I was able to take part on-site, and I have to say that it was an amazing experience. During the days of the conference, the entire city revolves around it – the universities, the museums, the streets. There are attractions everywhere! All the events were well thought out and aligned to current world challenges. The structure with lectures, discussions and workshops went beyond and helped greatly to equip me me with more than the usual knowledge. They also led me to look inside of myself as an individual and examine where I stand right now on my career, my mental health, and future prospects. It was very motivational and challenging!

On the first day, I was able to attend two workshops. One was about finding your career path outside academia and the other was about mental health in academia. I have always considered academia as my career goal. However, lately, especially after the pandemic and all the pressure that I have felt since then, I have started to consider exploring other paths. Furthermore, as I still am in academia as a master student, I thought that the second workshop on mental health could be helpful to me at this moment. Both workshops were valuable on a professional and on a personal level. The main take-aways were that industry have different goals than academia; LinkedIn is a must to connect with people I don’t know; be prepared for interviews; mental health and career go hand in hand; and the current system we live in should be restructured and changed to aid people’s needs concerning mental health and productivity. Later on, I attended the beautiful opening ceremony and the reception.

As a grantee, I had the chance to attend the grantee meeting on the second day of the conference, where the grantees met with president of the EuroScience Association and some of the representatives of the sponsor institutions. There was a very interesting panel where some of the grantees talked about their experiences as PhDs, which was really enlightening and fascinating to learn all the different backgrounds and stories. Besides that, my favourite session of the day was the talk “Biodiversity as an opportunity”, where they discussed about soil biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, human’s footprint, the financial sector and the Dutch Youth Climate Agenda. I particularly enjoyed this talk because one of the speakers talked about the efforts of the restoration of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, as a Brazilian myself.

The main highlight for me on the third day was the “Keynote Sustainable Environment” at the Main stage. This talk covered many different aspects of the current world crisis: sustainability, the Anthropocene, planetary boundaries, policies, food crisis, ecosystem services and the coexistent frictions between sectors. Besides that, I could explore the on-site attractions outside and inside Pieterskerk. I saw curious innovation developed with nanotechnology, experienced virtual reality in the context of the importance of the pollinators for the world, and I was also able to join networking events. In the evening, I attended the Delegate Party at the Botanical Garden and had the opportunity to see the blooming of the Titan arum, a plant that has its full bloom only once a decade.

On the last day, I joined a training about Sustainable careers at the EU Pavilion. This was really interesting and gave me a boost of motivation regarding my future. The coach talked about how our careers and lives are not always linear and cannot be planned in every detail. We should focus on the positive, the possibilities, and our strengths. Furthermore, she also advised us to think about our transferable skills, which are generic skills that can be applied to other sectors, and to dare to dream and act to achieve our goals. Afterwards, I was invited to take part in the lunch talk of the day with two other colleagues, GCEs Alexis Case and Zackary Zeller, to talk about our experiences during the event.

Taking part in the ESOF was a major experience to me in many aspects. It helped me learn and reflect even more about the world and how I see myself in it, my role, my contribution, and my goals. I recommend everyone to participate in the next edition of the ESOF, which will take place in Katowice, Poland, in 2024. Remember that, as students of an ENB programme, you can apply for a grant to attend the conference in person! Don’t miss your chance when the applications start and good luck!

You can visit the ESOF website clicking here.

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The Ocean: benefits, challenges, and solutions

Our Blue Planet, and all of its life, depends on a healthy ocean. Covering over 70% of Earth’s surface, the ocean plays a key role in regulating the climate, absorbing and transporting heat via sea currents from the equator to the poles; and it also produces half of the world’s oxygen. Under climate change, scientists estimate that the ocean absorbs at least 25% of CO2 emissions and has captured 90% of excess warming due to greenhouse gasses over the last 50 years [1,2]. Furthermore, the ocean is home to around 250,000 described species, with scientists estimating that another 700,000 are undiscovered [3]. Such diversity of life is possible due to the array of rich habitats within marine and coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, seagrass meadows, kelp forests, mangrove forests, as well as coastal shores.

People – and economies – also directly rely on the ocean. It is estimated that around 680 million people live on the coasts, and this number is expected to grow [4]. Additionally, the livelihoods of over 3 billion people depend on the ocean. Marine and coastal areas contribute significantly to the food, tourism and recreation, and transport industries. The global market value of ocean resources and its associated sectors is estimated to be around US$2.5 trillion per year [5].

Yet, the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution is causing ocean health to decline, putting these benefits at risk. Rising temperatures are contributing to impacts like sea level rise and marine heatwaves, while the absorption of excess CO2 leads to ocean acidification [4]. Excess nutrient pollution is leading to algal blooms, which can produce harmful toxins, as well as dead zones where there is no oxygen, which can grow to thousands of km² in size. Increased production, consumption, and improperly managed disposal of plastic pollution has resulted in millions of tons of plastic reaching the ocean yearly (up to 12 million in 2010) [6]. Wildlife can then become tangled in debris, or ingest it and starve with stomachs full of plastic. Unsustainable use of ocean resources, including practices such as overfishing, have also decimated wildlife populations and ecosystems.

To combat problems like these, the United Nations embedded a goal supporting Life Below Water within the Sustainable Development Goals. Specifically, Goal 14 looks to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”. This Goal was formed with the recognition that the ocean and its resources represent a tremendous opportunity for people and the planet – if we properly use them.

Enhancing SDG 14: The UN Ocean Conference

Clearly, supporting the realization of SDG 14 is crucial for sustainable development. To reinforce this objective, the UN has held the Ocean Conferences. The first Ocean Conference took place from 5 to 9 June 2017 in New York City, sounding the alarm about the state of our oceans while providing a space to discuss solutions and build partnerships. Additionally, from 27 June to 2 July 2022, over 6,000 participants – made up of individuals from civil society, the private sector, states and governments, the scientific community, and more – gathered in Lisbon, Portugal for the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference. I had the opportunity to support the Conference from the preparation phase through its conclusion in Lisbon.

Preparations

Such a large event does not happen without a lengthy preparatory process. My main role was to provide assistance to the Sustainable Development Officers in the UN Division for Sustainable Development Goals (Department of Economic and Social Affairs) as they worked to actualize the Conference. For me, this looked like attending meetings and taking notes on logistic and substantive aspects of the Conference, as well as related topics. Along with other students, I prepared draft documents such as summaries, remarks, and presentations for supervisors to review, and provided virtual support such as email correspondence, creating or uploading documents, maintaining databases, checking registrations, and updating the Conference website as needed.

Outcomes

Political Declaration

A main outcome of the 2022 UN Ocean Conference is the Political Declaration, “Our Ocean, Our Future, Our Responsibility”. During the preparatory process, co-facilitators held consultations with Member States to get their feedback as the draft document was revised. The document contains a list of science-based and innovative actions needed to support the ocean and those who rely on it for sustainable development. In the end, the final draft was accepted and successfully adopted at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference.

Plenary sessions and partnership dialogues

The Conference programme included both plenary sessions and eight interactive dialogues. During the plenary sessions, Member States and other stakeholders could make interventions. This provided a forum for sharing their experiences, problems, solutions, and more. The eight interactive dialogues centered around different ocean and SDG-related topics. For each of these Dialogues, a panel discussion with experts in each field was held, followed by a discussion period where stakeholders could give statements.

A summary for each plenary session and interactive dialogue was to be prepared for inclusion into the final Conference report. Part of my responsibility on the ground was to provide support by taking notes at these sessions and submitting these to the lead, who would then prepare the summary for approval.

Enhancing ocean action: voluntary commitments

To recover and retain the health of the ocean, actors make voluntary commitments to support the implementation of SDG 14. Any initiative which contributes to the advancement of SDG 14 may be submitted as a voluntary commitment. These projects, either carried out by individuals or as partnerships within or across sectors, represent concrete steps taken by stakeholders to create positive change in the ocean and to reverse its decline. You can find information regarding any of these initiatives within the registry of voluntary commitments, which houses all commitments made since the first Ocean Conference in 2017. Currently, the number of commitments stands at 2,093.

Do these commitments make a difference? A 2021 analysis of their impacts found that voluntary commitments have led to at least 3.3 million km2 of new marine protected areas. Many litter-collecting and awareness-raising initiatives have been held, and governments have implemented bans on single-use plastics under the voluntary commitment framework. Enhanced partnership and scientific cooperation have led to benefits in capacity development, technology development and transfer, and ocean governance. These positive impacts will increase, given the many strong commitments made at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference.

My peers and I assisted with reviewing commitments and corresponding with voluntary commitment holders in case of any issues. We also kept track of the approved voluntary commitments for inclusion into the report of the Conference.

Conclusions

Through this experience, I was able to learn both about ocean issues by listening and speaking directly to top experts across disciplines. I heard how these issues were impacting people and different ways to tackle them; as well as how to sustainably use the opportunities of the ocean. I saw concrete action, partnerships, and cross-sectoral collaboration, and diplomacy driving innovative solutions through the voluntary commitments and the adoption of the outcome document by governments. I also gained insight into the interconnections between the SDGs and saw this reflected throughout the Conference and its lead up.

Overall, being able to take part in the Ocean Conference was a valuable experience, made particularly rewarding by the fact that I was involved during (a portion of) the preparation through the conclusion of the Conference itself. This allowed me to see how the scientific and environmental dimension mixes with the economic, social, and political aspects of sustainable development at different stages to ultimately culminate in the Ocean Conference and its outcomes. At the same time, I had the chance to see first-hand how the UN supports and facilitates all these pieces, and more, for sustainable development.

References

[1] Zanna, L., Khatiwala, S., Gregory, J. M., Ison, J., & Heimbach, P. 2019. Global reconstruction of historical ocean heat storage and transport. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116(4): 1126–1131. Link

[2] Watson, A.J., Schuster, U., Shutler, J.D. et al. 2020. Revised estimates of ocean-atmosphere CO₂ flux are consistent with ocean carbon inventory. Nature Communications (11): 4422. Link

[3] W. Appeltans, S.T. Ahyong, G. Anderson, M.V. Angel, T. Artois, N. Bailly, R. Bamber, A. Barber, I. Bartsch, A. Berta, et al. 2012. The magnitude of global marine species diversity. Current Biology. 22: 2189-2202. Link

[4] IPCC, 2019: IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, M. Tignor, E. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Nicolai, A. Okem, J. Petzold, B. Rama, N.M. Weyer (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, 755 pp. Link

[5] UNCTAD. 2021. Advancing the potential of sustainable ocean-based economies: trade trends, market drivers and market access. Link

[6] Jambeck J. R. Geyer R. Wilcox C. Siegler T. R. Perryman M. Andrady A. Narayan R. Law K. L. 2015. Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science 347(6223): 768-771 pp. Link

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Similar to how the IPCC represents key scientific consensus on climate change, IPBES produces important findings for decision making and stakeholders in the field of biodiversity. In 2019, the plenary yielded a global assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services that sounded the alarm on a global crisis of biodiversity loss. According to the report, one million plant and animal species across the world are at risk of extinction. Although these numbers are sobering, this knowledge is essential for conservation policy and science. This year, the platform planned to approve two new reports highlighting the diverse uses and values of wildlife to humans and non-humans.

IPBES 9 took place both virtually and in Bonn, Germany from July 3-9, 2022. Students from the master program Global Change Ecology (GCE) could attend either as observers of the conference or as volunteers with the IPBES secretariat. In both cases, they were able to attend sessions, meet science and policy experts, and see firsthand the process of international negotiations. GCE sent more than 20 student volunteers to help run the event. This included tasks such as registration, running the help desk, managing the IPBES social media channels, working in the back office, and managing representatives in the session.

Personal Reflections from a Back Office Volunteer

When I first signed up to volunteer at IPBES 9, I was not sure what to expect. In all honesty, I had never actually heard of IPBES before. Nevertheless, I was interested in learning more about the organization and gaining experience through volunteering.

I chose to volunteer in the back office because I have technical skills that could come in handy. I had volunteered at some conferences in the past, so I figured that the experience would be somewhat similar. However, upon arriving at the venue, I realized that this experience would be different in some key ways.

For one, the stakes were much higher. As a matter of international diplomacy, attendees were not representing themselves, but their governments. Additionally, while IPBES is not a UN body, the United Nations Environment Program provides the secretariat for the plenary. As a result, student volunteers got to volunteer and interact with UN employees. The international and intergovernmental nature of this event made it feel very “serious” and, as student volunteers, we appreciated the importance of our work. 

When it came to my work specifically, I was very satisfied with my experience volunteering in the back office. I assisted the technical team with essential tasks such as:

• Sending push notifications to attendees through the conference app
• Updating the session schedule as times changed
• Posting media releases to the website
• Managing and monitoring online participants
• Troubleshooting technical issues

As an outside observer of IPBES 9, it would be easy to overlook the people working “behind the scenes”. As a volunteer, however, it is clear that there is a lot more that goes into these negotiations than meets the eye. While the experts, policy makers, diplomats and stakeholders are the focus of the negotiations, it is the IPBES secretariat and conference technicians that ensure the meeting goes smoothly.

Working on the technical side of the conference meant doing a lot of “little things” such as hitting “record” on zoom sessions, checking equipment, responding to emails, editing powerpoints, etc. Many of these tasks needed to be completed simultaneously or in a limited time period. While the work was fast-paced, I definitely feel like I learned a lot about managing my time, prioritizing tasks, and problem solving. Additionally, I always worked on a team and with a supervisor who could assist if need be.

Due to the nature of the work, I listened closely to the discussions and followed along for the duration of the (lengthy) sessions. As a result, I was able to pay attention to the details and nuances of the diplomatic process. It was surprising to see how finely the member states dissected the language and terminology of the reports. Of course, the point of the plenary is precisely this, to involve various governments in the communication of science and policy. This meant that every member state had to agree on every single word of the documents approved.

The tedious reviewing process took place every day, all day. When the reports were finally approved, it was hard not to get swept up in the emotion of it all. It was particularly exciting for the experts who had been working on these documents for four years to finally see their work come to fruition. Even as a volunteer who had just recently learned about the mission of IPBES, I was ecstatic that I could see this process happen. In a way, it felt as if I were along for the ride, especially after seeing all of the hard work that the volunteers, secretariat and technicians had put into facilitating it. The final days were marked by overwhelming excitement (and exhaustion) after a very busy and intense week. Now we waited for the outside world to get the reports.

Results of IPBES 9

The result of IPBES 9 was the publishing of two landmark reports, the “Assessment report on the sustainable use of wild species” and the “Methodological assessment regarding the diverse conceptualization of multiple values of nature and its benefits”. With thousands of references and dozens of contributing authors, these reports present important scientific and policy consensus.

According to the sustainable use assessment, 1 in 5 people around the world rely on some 50,000 wild species for purposes such as food, fuel, medicine etc. For the world’s poor, this dependence is even greater. The findings from this assessment highlight the importance of wild species for humans.

The values assessment points out that the predominant short-sighted view of nature is the main driver of biodiversity loss. Instead of viewing nature as merely a commodity to exploit, the assessment highlights more than 50 alternative methods and approaches to value nature. This includes indigenous perspectives and women’s involvement in stewardship decisions.

When considered together, the findings highlight the importance of changing our relationship to nature and protecting biodiversity. Especially in order to protect vulnerable people all over the world in the face of climate change, conflict, the pandemic, and inflation. As a student who studies in the field of ecology, biodiversity, and global change, it was a truly educational experience to learn about these two reports. Not to mention the skills, experiences, and networking I did along the way.

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