#IPBES12 Plenary Session Commences in Manchester

The twelfth plenary session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) commenced this week in Manchester, UK, marking a historic first for the United Kingdom as a host of this influential global assembly. Bringing together more than 150 member governments, alongside Indigenous Peoples, local communities, stakeholders, and leading biodiversity experts, IPBES12 is poised to significantly advance the science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services at a critical juncture for global environmental governance.

The centerpiece of this plenary is the anticipated endorsement of the Summary for Policymakers of the groundbreaking IPBES Business and Biodiversity Report. Developed over three years and involving 80 expert authors representing diverse global regions, this scientific assessment solidifies the empirical foundations for understanding how business activities impact biodiversity and nature’s contributions to humanity. It explicitly details dependencies and pressures that enterprises exert on ecosystems, while proposing robust frameworks for integrating biodiversity considerations within the corporate decision-making process. This report offers a vital evidence base to inform policymakers and guide sustainable business practices on a global scale.

The choice of Manchester as the venue resonates deeply with the thematic focus of the plenary. Historically recognized as a crucible of industrial innovation and economic transformation, Manchester symbolizes the challenges and opportunities presented by the integration of environmental concerns into business and economic development paradigms. This historic industrial city now sets the stage for pioneering discourse on reconciling economic activity with biodiversity conservation, framing an urgent call for the private sector to acknowledge and address its ecological footprint.

A record-setting IPBES Stakeholder Day preceded the formal sessions, with over 500 participants from around the world engaging in dialogues aimed at fostering collaboration and expanding the reach of IPBES’s scientific assessments. Such engagement underscores the platform’s commitment to inclusivity, recognizing Indigenous knowledge holders and civil society actors as indispensable contributors to holistic biodiversity strategies. This breadth of participation ensures that the ensuing policy frameworks are enriched by multidimensional perspectives and grounded in social as well as ecological realities.

Opening IPBES12, an artistic performance by Manchester-based groups Bionics and the Wires poignantly fused biotechnology and creative expression, utilizing bionic arms to translate plant signals into music and visual art. This innovative presentation metaphorically underscored the intricate interdependencies between humans and the natural world, highlighting the potential of interdisciplinary approaches to communicate complex scientific ideas and galvanize broader public engagement with biodiversity issues.

During the plenary’s inaugural address, Emma Reynolds MP, UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, articulated the mounting global momentum for biodiversity restoration and sustainable business engagement. Emphasizing the narrowing window to arrest biodiversity loss by 2030, she framed IPBES as a vital forum for amplifying collective action and international cooperation at a moment when geopolitical trends threaten to undermine multilateralism. Her address reinforced the notion that safeguarding nature is not merely an ecological imperative but one fundamental to economic security and societal well-being.

In a powerful statement delivered on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III, the monarch expressed hope that the Business and Biodiversity Assessment would catalyze tangible, long-term commitments. This royal endorsement serves to elevate the report’s profile, signaling that the interface of nature and commerce commands attention at the highest levels of leadership and governance. It also reflects a broader recognition that biodiversity underpins the resilience of economies and communities worldwide.

IPBES Chair Dr. David Obura framed the assessment in the context of emerging global risks, specifically recalling the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Risks Report, which identified biodiversity loss as the second most critical long-term threat to business. This alignment with prominent international risk assessments underscores the urgency for integrating biodiversity metrics into corporate risk management, investment portfolios, and strategic planning processes, thereby fostering resilience to ecological shocks and systemic disruptions.

Echoing this concern, IPBES Executive Secretary Dr. Luthando Dziba emphasized the platform’s forward-looking mandate: to generate indispensable scientific knowledge and inspiration that support not only current biodiversity goals but also shape global policy trajectories beyond 2030. The IPBES assessments are designed not merely as scientific reports but as dynamic tools to facilitate implementation of international biodiversity commitments and to guide the transition to sustainable economies.

Among the technical advancements highlighted in the report is the sophistication with which it quantifies the dependencies and impacts of diverse economic sectors on ecosystem services. Employing state-of-the-art modeling frameworks and integrative analyses, the assessment elucidates complex causal linkages that have previously been underappreciated in economic decision-making. Such innovations are essential for translating abstract biodiversity concepts into operational metrics usable by businesses and policymakers alike.

The report also advances methodologies for natural capital accounting and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria refinement, ensuring that biodiversity considerations are embedded within corporate sustainability frameworks. These methodological contributions are poised to bolster transparency, accountability, and comparability across sectors, facilitating the benchmarking of corporate biodiversity performance and enabling financial markets to better integrate ecological risks and dependencies.

The media launch of the Business and Biodiversity Report is scheduled for 9 February 2026, with a live webcast designed to maximize accessibility and engagement. Accredited media will have the unprecedented opportunity to engage directly with the report’s three co-chairs and IPBES leadership during an exclusive Q&A session, fostering robust dialogue around the implications and potential applications of this transformative work.

In conclusion, the IPBES12 plenary in Manchester represents a watershed moment in global efforts to infuse biodiversity considerations into economic systems. By articulating the scientific underpinnings of business-environment interactions and linking these findings to policy and action, the Business and Biodiversity Report advances the ambition of embedding nature at the core of sustainable development frameworks. As the world confronts the accelerating biodiversity crisis, IPBES’s role as the “IPCC for biodiversity” remains indispensable, mobilizing knowledge and international cooperation to safeguard the planet’s natural heritage for generations to come.

News Publication Date: Not explicitly stated; Event occurring February 2026

Web References:

• IPBES Official Website: www.ipbes.net
• Accreditation Link for Media: https://www.ipbes.net/bba-accreditation