Nature Insight: Speed Dating with the Future

The annual value of industries highly dependent on nature amounts to15% of the global GDP, yet the benefits nature provides to businesses, as well as the impact of businesses on nature, are largely overlooked. This episode explores the business advantages of biodiversity conservation, and how companies can incorporate biodiversity as a core component of their sustainability strategies. It also looks ahead to the IPBES Business and ...

Is it possible to balance the needs of people with nature in our “concrete jungles”?  That is the question under scrutiny in this episode of ‘Nature Insight’. As the global population becomes ever more urbanized and cities are growing at an unprecedented rate  - particularly in the developing world - Rob Spaull and Brit Garner hear what needs to be done to protect nature in these built up environments. Brit and Rob hear from Loan D...

What can be done with environments that have become degraded through human activity, and how can you set right what has gone wrong? That is the question that Brit Garner and Carla Brown explore in this episode of the podcast. They hear about the problems, challenges - and solutions - on land and in marine environments. Dr Yvonne Walz, the the head of the Environmental Vulnerability and Ecosystem Services Division at United Nations ...

The impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss are felt in distinct and often unequal ways. The developing world is often hardest hit and has the least capacity to deal with the consequences of environmental degradation. Most notably it is often women who are hardest hit. In addition, the voices of women are often marginalised when discussing and dealing with these challenges. In this episode Brit - who is joined by Carla - sp...

A healthy environment means a healthy planet. But how does nature contribute to the well-being of people - in less direct ways - than the health of the land, air and water? That is the question under the spotlight in this episode of Nature Insight. Brit speaks to Rachelle Gould, an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at the University Of Vermont, who has studied this issue. In addition, she interviews Nick Roskruge, a reti...

In the first episode of the Nature Insight’s new season, Brit Garner and Rob Spaull set sail  - literally and figuratively - on a journey inspired by one of history’s most influential naturalists. In ‘Darwin’s Wake - New Horizons for Nature Science’ they explore how today’s scientists, conservationists and others are influenced by Charles Darwin’s legacy and discover how biodiversity science has changed in the 21st century.

In this...

Nature Insight is back for a fifth season! Join Brit, Rob and new addition, Carla, as they speed date with experts who offer unique insights into the values of nature and the world we all share – from the legacy of Darwin and inspirational lessons from indigenous Maori culture to how business both depends on and impacts nature. Subscribe now, for a backstage pass to better-informed choices about protecting all life on earth. Coming...

George the Pinta Island tortoise and Martha the passenger pigeon achieved fame as 'endlings’ - the last individuals of their species. Their passing is tragic, but can their fate perhaps help us to protect other threatened species? 

In this final episode of Season 4, Brit interviews Dr. Alexander Lees, from Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, who has been working on Amazonian conservation issues for more than 20 years and ...

Global challenges require the most robust evidence for the best possible responses - which is also key to conserve, restore and sustainably use biodiversity. So, it is vital to include as many perspectives, from as many parts of the world as possible, to understand the full picture, and to ensure that the results are used in every part of the globe. In this episode, we explore why some regions are less engaged in the IPBES processe...

We humans have our favourites in the natural world. Just consider the status accorded to pandas, lions, and elephants. Charismatic species get a lot of attention, and not only from the public, but also from scientists and policy makers. We spend significant resources on studying, conserving and telling their stories. But what about ‘ugly’ species? What kind of impact does our lesser interest in them have on their existence and cons...

What does transformative change mean? Is it possible, and how can it be achieved and accelerated with so many imminent threats to the natural world? These are the burning questions at the heart of the IPBES ‘Transformative Change Assessment’, which offers tools and guidance for a more just and sustainable world. 

In this episode, Brit talks to one of the co-chairs of the Assessment, Professor Lucas Garibaldi, from the Universidad N...

The crises keep on coming – in food, in water, in health, in biodiversity, and in climate change. IPBES is launching its ‘Nexus Assessment Report’, which looks at how all of these crises are interlinked and often cascade and compound each other. It’s time to ‘tune up our instruments’ - to create greater harmony in tackling them together for a just and sustainable world.

In this episode, Rob hears from the two co-chairs of the Nexus...

When it comes to biodiversity, you have probably heard of the importance of diverse species and ecosystems. But there is one more layer underlying our natural systems… genetic diversity.

To kick off the season, Brit gets back in touch with her former mentor, Dr. Sean Hoban, Tree Conservation Biologist at The Morton Arboretum in Chicago, USA. And we hear from Dr. Laura Bertola, Research Associate for the National Centre for Biologic...

Nature Insight is back for a fourth season! Join Brit and Rob as they speed date with experts who offer unique insights into the values of nature and the world we all share – from the hidden layers of genetic biodiversity, to the beauty of ugly species. Subscribe now, it’s your backstage pass to better-informed choices about protecting all life on earth. Coming in December!

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or fol...

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 persp...

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 Loret...

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 ne...

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 A...

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 L...