Young leaders around the world increasingly use their voices and power to fight for the future of our planet and their own. In the final episode of this season, Rob opens a window on the important role young people play in the work of IPBES – and the growing number of opportunities for youth involvement in IPBES processes. With insights from one of the IPBES colleagues responsible for these activities, Diem Hong Thi Tran, and perspectives from a young Indigenous IPBES stakeholder, Kantuta...

Did you know aliens live among us? IPBES just launched its landmark new Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control – the largest study ever of its kind. Join Brit as she speaks with one of the co-chairs of that Assessment, Professor Helen Roy, about her enthusiasm for addressing these risks and her optimism about our chances to reduce biological invasions and their very damaging impacts. Brit also interviews Dr. Maria Loreto Castillo about how the simple beaver has become the focus of...

We hear news about climate change every day in the media, but in contrast, biodiversity is often overlooked or relegated to minor mentions. In this episode, Rob ‘flips the script’ and puts journalists who normally report on biodiversity and nature into the spotlight. He talks to Patrick Greenfield from The Guardian and Observer, and Sahana Ghosh from Nature India, about the challenges and opportunities when covering biodiversity news. Find out more about the power and responsibility of the...

This week, we’re traveling to the South Pole. Brit finds out more about an epic expedition to Antarctica by one of the IPBES assessment co-chairs, Professor Mike Christie, and his Paralympian teammate, Karen Darke. Get the inside track on their phenomenal adventure, and find out how an extreme landscape, not known for its biodiversity, helped them to better understand the tremendous values of nature beyond use.    The sounds from Antarctica were recorded by Mike Webster, who followed Mike and...

Stakeholders are an important part of every organization, but in IPBES, they are especially important. They are not only beneficiaries of the work, but are also active participants. Join Rob as he delves deep into why stakeholder engagement is a vital part of the IPBES DNA, and how important it is to bring into IPBES the widest possible range of voices, evidence and knowledge systems – for stronger science. You’ll hear from Flore Lafaye de Micheaux, former IPBES Stakeholder Engagement...

Did you know that there are thousands of undiscovered species of fungi around the world? In Nepal alone, it is estimated we know only 1/10 of all species! What does this knowledge gap mean for science, nature and people? And why do fungi matter? In this episode, Brit speaks to a mushroom scientist from Nepal, Dr. Shiva Devkota, about climbing Mount Everest in search of new species and new knowledge.   To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Nature Insight is back for a third season! Join Brit and Rob as they give you behind-the-scenes access to the stories, perspectives and real-world experiences of people from the IPBES community on the frontlines of science policy and action for nature. Subscribe now for your backstage pass to making better choices about protecting all life on earth. Coming soon!   To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Nature, through Earth systems, provides almost all the vital infrastructure that we need to live, work and thrive. Even business health depends on a healthy planet. In this episode, Rob talks to Professor Steve Polasky and Delphine Gluzman to better understand the links between nature and the economy, as well as how we can align our economic activity with nature. Steve is Professor of Ecological/Environmental Economics at the University of Minnesota, and has studied the links between nature...

In this episode, we catch up with the work of IPBES experts on the values of nature. Ahead of the publication of the IPBES Values Assessment in July 2022, we explore what those values are, why we should bother trying to understand them, and how we can pull all these different perspectives together into actions to protect nature and biodiversity. This week’s guests are Professor Patty Balvanera and David Cooper. Patty is one of the co-chairs of the IPBES Values Assessment and works at the...

The IPBES Global Assessment showed that governance is one of the major indirect drivers of global biodiversity loss. In this episode, we look at the power (and limits) of laws and regulations - important elements of governance. Is law an effective tool to tackle the nature crisis? What role can law play both nationally and internationally? Can we use law to bring about the transformative change needed to protect nature? Rob talks to Dr. Michelle Lim, Senior Lecturer at the Macquarie Law...

We may not realize it, but all of us use and benefit from wild species. Algae, fungi, plants and animals - from medicine to food, they’re important parts of our quality of life. But the IPBES Global Assessment identified over-exploitation of species as one of the main drivers of change in biodiversity. So how are we using wild species? Is there such a thing as sustainable use? How does illegal trade play into all this?   This week, Brit talks to two guests. Dr. John Donaldson is a...

IPBES assessments are massive undertakings. The IPBES Global Assessment alone involved 150 experts from 50 countries, donating thousands of hours of time over three years. So how is one of these assessments put together? What’s it like in the late-night negotiations behind closed doors? What makes such a colossal process worth the effort? Rob is joined by his long-time colleague and friend, Hien Ngo, to answer all these questions. Hien was the Head of the technical support unit for the IPBES...

To be an IPBES author, you need to be one of the very best in your field. Typically this means having decades of published research to your name. But making space for a variety of voices is at the heart of IPBES. Through its Fellowship Programme, IPBES offers exceptional early-career researchers a ‘seat at the table’. Dr. Lelani Mannetti is a Fellow on the IPBES Values Assessment, and speaks to Brit about the Fellowship as a ‘fast-forward’ mechanism.   Brit also talks to Juliette Prieur,...

Brit and Rob are back for a second season of Nature Insight! Join them as they ‘speed date’ with experts with unique insights into the values of nature and the world we all share. Subscribe now to learn how to make better choices about protecting all life on earth.   To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Values drive behaviour and are at the heart of all decisions. So how do we value nature? Is it economic or aesthetic or cultural? IPBES recently launched a major expert assessment on values to answer all of these questions and more. This week, Brit talks to Brigitte Baptiste, one of the co-chairs of the values assessment. They explore the different ways of valuing biodiversity and nature's contributions to people. To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social...

Every part of society has a vital role to play in protecting nature. Business has not typically been an ally to biodiversity, but this could be changing. This week’s guests are Samata and Marie-Claire Daveu. Samata is the CEO of the Red Carpet Green Dress campaign. Marie-Claire is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Kering, a global luxury group that manages brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and others. Join Rob as he asks them about the value of nature to business and...

Coral reefs are iconic, but we have all seen the images of bleached areas that were previously teeming with life and colour. These ecosystems, and more broadly coastlines, are a vital part of the efforts to protect biodiversity. So how are coral reefs doing? Are we too late? Can we still secure a better future for reefs and people? In this week’s episode, Brit talks to Dr. David Obura. David has studied coral reef resilience and adaptation his whole life. He founded CORDIO, a non-profit...

In the IPBES Global Assessment report, we learnt that to safeguard all life on Earth, we need transformative change. So what does that mean? How can we make it happen? This week's guest is Kai Chan. He is a professor at the University of British Columbia and one of the Coordinating Lead Authors of the Global Assessment. To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

How do we incorporate different knowledge systems in the battle for biodiversity? Billy Offland set off on a 2-year journey to learn about conservation from as many different people as possible. In his travels, he met Dr. Anne Poelina in the Kimberley in Western Australia. Anne is a Nyikina Warrwa Traditional Owner and chair of the Mardoowarra Fitzroy River Council.What can we learn from the Fitzroy River Council? How do we create "forever industries"? How can we use this knowledge in global...

The COVID-19 pandemic took most of us by surprise, but not Dr. Peter Daszak. As a zoologist and expert on emerging diseases, he has been training his entire life for this kind of crisis. He is the president of EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit NGO that supports global health.Should we blame nature for the virus? What are the root causes of pandemics? How does preserving biodiversity help us fight emerging diseases?To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media...

Join Rob and Brit as they ‘speed date’ with the future! Each week, they will introduce you to people with unique insights into the values of nature and our relationship with it. Subscribe now to learn how to make better choices about protecting all life on earth. This podcast is brought to you by IPBES, the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.