Biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate due to anthropogenic economic activities.

On July 11, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) released the Assessment Report on the Values and Valuation of Nature, a comprehensive review of methodologies for assessing the value of biodiversity, compiled by 82 researchers and experts from around the world over a four-year period. The assessment report identified that when making policy decisions, there is too much focus on short-term profits and economic growth, leaving nature often undervalued while biodiversity loss is accelerating.　　

The report stated that economic and policy decision-making prioritize market values of nature, such as its contribution to food production, while these market values do not necessarily reflect changes in nature that may affect people's quality of life. Moreover, the report also pointed out that the policy making process tends to neglect non-market values of nature, such as climate control and cultural identity, and emphasized the need to assess the various values of nature in biodiversity conservation.

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki (Director, Information Program)