IPBES 12 Plenary

Tuesday 3 February 2026 - Sunday 8 February 2026

Location: Manchester, UK

From 3 to 8 February 2026, the UK will host the twelfth session of the Plenary of IPBES (the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) in Manchester, preceded by a Stakeholder Day February 2nd.

PML’s science experts, Dr Stefanie Broszeit and Luz Rodrigues-Vargas will take part with PML as an accredited observer organization.

The IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body, with close to 150 member States, to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development. One of the ways it achieves this is through harnessing world-leading scientific expertise, including PML’s, to develop ground-breaking assessments that support policies and action on key environmental issues. One such example is the Monitoring assessment with PML’s Dr Victor Martinez-Vicente as Coordinating Lead Author, which will be completed in 2026 and considered by the next IPBES Plenary at its 13th session.

IPBES and its work are important as biodiversity and nature’s benefits to people underpin almost every aspect of human development and are key to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals. They help to produce food, clean water, regulate climate and even control disease. Yet they are being depleted and degraded faster than at any other point in human history. IPBES is unique – harnessing the best expertise from across all scientific disciplines and knowledge communities – to provide policy-relevant knowledge and to catalyse the implementation of knowledge-based policies at all levels in government, the private sector and civil society.

The plenary is IPBES’ governing body and consists of member state representatives, which usually meets once a year, with observers including non-member states and various biodiversity-related bodies also in attendance. IPBES-12 will in particular consider a methodological assessment of the impact and dependence of business on biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people.

Find out more at: IPBES 12 Plenary | IPBES secretariat