Launch of the 1st working week of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) experts in Montpellier
On Monday May 9, 2022, the IPBES experts kicked off their first week of work at the University of Montpellier, with a view to drafting a global report by 2024, assessing the causes of biodiversity loss, the drivers of change and the options for achieving commitments by 2050. Organized by the University of Montpellier and the IPBES executive secretariat, with logistical support from Agropolis International, the intensive working week for the hundred or so international experts selected will take place on the Agropolis International premises.
Placed under the aegis of the United Nations, the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) is an intergovernmental group of biodiversity experts whose main mission is to assist governments on biodiversity issues. The work of the IPBES is therefore of the same importance for biodiversity as that of the IPCC for climate change.
Hosting the IPBES technical support unit, perfectly in line with the scientific orientations of the University of Montpellier.
In July 2021, the IPBES executive secretariat selected the University of Montpellier as the host of its technical support unit. This is a fine form of recognition for the work carried out since 2017 by the UM and its partners in the ISITE project around three major scientific objectives for society: fostering a transition to an environmentally-friendly society, promoting innovative agriculture to contribute to food security and environmental quality, and improving human health in changing environments.
"The University of Montpellier is delighted to have begun its first week of work on Monday with the IPBES Technical Support Unit and its global researchers, who will be contributing to this report on the challenges of biodiversity. With more than 1,300 scientists working directly on subjects related to ecology and the environment, Montpellier is home to one of the world's largest communities in this field, recognized at the highest level in world rankings," declares Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier.
In 2021, the UM will rank 3rd in the world in ecology in the Shanghai thematic ranking, but also as the leading French institution in terms of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) according to THE 2022 ranking, which aims to measure the sustainable development commitment and performance of higher education establishments. This visibility contributed significantly to IPBES' decision to locate the unit in Montpellier. In contact with a local scientific community fully mobilized on biodiversity issues, these world-renowned experts will be able to work in the best possible conditions on major challenges for the future of the planet.
"This initiative is a perfect illustration of our ambition and our international strategy, which aims to increase exchanges, forge solid partnerships with key players in education and research on other continents, and contribute together to the animation of global scientific communities to meet the challenges of tomorrow," explains UM's President.