IPBES: The world’s leading authority on biodiversity
IPBES stands for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
It brings together top scientific experts on biodiversity to gather and assess the best data on the state of the natural world. Their reports, presented to 153 member governments, help guide informed decision-making on biodiversity and ecosystems.
The annual conference is taking place 2-8 February
There is an annual IPBES conference (known as a plenary) and this year marks a historic moment: as the 12th IPBES Plenary will be held in the UK for the first time.
The event is hosted at the Manchester Central Convention Complex from 2–8 February and co-organised by the UK Government and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).
Each annual plenary discusses and adopts a major IPBES report. In 2026, the focus is the Business and Biodiversity Assessment - a groundbreaking report highlighting how businesses worldwide are including nature and climate into their strategies.
As protecting nature is now a critical part of corporate responsibility, many companies will be taking part in IPBES 12. The release of the assessment is expected to speed up work to reduce negative impacts on biodiversity, and highlight ways companies can play a more active role in conservation and restoration.
