IPBES-IPCC 2026 meetings

Biodiversity and climate: the two major environmental challenges of our era are closely linked. This interdependence, which may have been overlooked in the past, has now been established in scientific circles and, increasingly, in political spheres.

In this context, IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and then IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) were established to strengthen the science-policy interface on climate and biodiversity and to provide public and private decision-makers with an assessment of the current state of knowledge, enabling these issues to be better addressed. IPBES and IPCC are facing increasing politicisation of their work: whilst this reflects a growing political interest in environmental issues, it also reflects an increasingly marked resistance to acknowledging scientific conclusions that call for potential changes to ensure a sustainable future. 

 

The 2026 edition of the IPBES-IPCC meetings offers an opportunity for collective reflection on a key issue: how can we generate transformative change in response to the growing politicisation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), platforms and scientific panels? Drawing on the concepts of transformative change and transformative adaptation promoted respectively by IPBES and IPCC, the discussions will explore transformative pathways applicable at the French level and the levers for strengthening equity, justice, pluralism and inclusivity in the production, use and transfer of knowledge.

 

This event will also provide an opportunity to examine the ways in which scientists engage with international bodies, as well as their role within decision-making processes (IPBES, IPCC, CSFD, COPs, subsidiary bodies), in a context marked by a rise in anti-science rhetoric. Particular attention will be paid to how decision-makers, particularly at national and regional levels, are taking on board the findings of IPBES and IPCC, highlighting the “biodiversity and climate” nexus, with a focus on cities.