With seven million hectares of forest – roughly the size of the Republic of Ireland – destroyed every year, the need to address biodiversity loss has never been greater.
From 3 to 8 February 2026, the 12th Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will take place in Manchester, the United Kingdom, gathering representatives from 150 governments.
A principal focus of the meeting will be on the vital interlinkages between business and nature.
What is IPBES and what does it do?
IPBES is a global science-policy body that helps governments understand the state of nature and its benefits to people. It provides major assessments, such as on the state of biodiversity in Europe, to help decision-makers to conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable development.
Founded in 2012, IPBES has nearly 150 member states and involves thousands of experts and stakeholders, from scientists and NGOs to local communities and the private sector. While it is not a United Nations body, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) provides secretariat support.
The IPBES secretariat is hosted by the German Government and located on the UN campus in Bonn. Several thousand scientists worldwide contribute to the work of IPBES on a voluntary basis.
What will be discussed in Manchester?
Member states are expected to approve the ‘Business and Biodiversity Assessment’, the first-ever ‘fast-track assessment’ that examines how businesses depend on and impact biodiversity.
The report is the culmination of almost three years of work by 80 of the world’s leading experts from science and the private sector, as well as from Indigenous Peoples and local communities – drawn from 35 countries. It aims to provide information for businesses and financial institutions to drive better outcomes for biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people.
Why does it matter?
Engaging businesses and the financial sector is essential to safeguard the benefits that biodiversity provides.
On the positive side, businesses can support biodiversity, such as by creating green jobs or developing new products and services.
However, the rapid expansion of economic activity, without proper attention to its negative side effects, has taken its toll on nature, for example through land-use changes, pollution, overexploitation of resources, and the introduction of invasive species. These consequences in turn pose serious threats to business.
The conservation, restoration and sustainable use of nature is not just an environmental goal – it is an essential component of sustainable, successful business.
What are some examples of IPBES’s work?
IPBES’s landmark 2019 Global report laid bare the scale of global biodiversity loss, providing vital evidence for agencies such as the UN Environment Programme to inform and strengthen their response. It found:
- Around one million species are now threatened with extinction;
- 75% of land-based environments and 66% of marine ecosystems have been significantly altered by human activity;
- More than a third of the Earth’s land surface and nearly three-quarters of freshwater resources are dedicated to crop or livestock production.
The findings of IPBES’s 2018 regional assessment for Europe and Central Asia were equally stark:
- Of the assessed species living exclusively in Europe and Central Asia, 28% are threatened;
- Wetlands have declined by 50% since 1970, alongside major degradation of grasslands, peatlands, and coastal habitats;
- Central and Western Europe consumes more renewable resources than it produces, relying on food and feed imports equivalent to 35 million hectares of cropland – roughly the size of Germany.
What is the biodiversity situation in the United Kingdom?
Across the UK, species studied have declined by an average of 19% since 1970, and nearly one in six species are threatened with extinction. Changes in land management for farming, along with climate change, are the biggest drivers of wildlife decline on land, in rivers, and in lakes.
This month, the UK Government recognised biodiversity loss as a national security risk. The Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse and National Security report found that high ecosystem degradation is occurring across all regions and that every critical ecosystem is on a pathway to collapse.
Yet, amid the ongoing biodiversity crisis, the UK also offers stories of hope: once-extinct species like the large blue butterfly have returned, rare butterflies and orchids are making comebacks, and thousands of trees and restored habitats are helping wildlife thrive. When communities, scientists, and policymakers work together, nature can bounce back.
How can I find out more?
Find out more about the IPBES plenary here: https://www.ipbes.net/events/ipbes-12-plenary
And learn more about IPBES: https://www.ipbes.net/