Summary
The IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body established in 2012 comprising over 130 member Governments. IPBES assessments analyze quantitative and qualitative indicators on the valuation of Nature in order to provide decision makers and policymakers with objective scientific assessments regarding the planet’s current biodiversity, ecosystems, and sustainability. The most recent IPBES report (2022) considers the rights of Nature and nature’s intrinsic value (i.e., independent of people as value) as elements that should be present in environmental public policymaking.
The report finds that systems-wide transformative change towards sustainability and justice is more likely when nature’s values are embedded into environmental policy instruments, and when those instruments are “integrative and adaptive enough to bridge across worldviews” (30).
It recommends that “recognizing and respecting the worldviews, values and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities and the institutions that support their rights, territories or interests, allow policies to be more inclusive of how different people live, relate to and value nature, which also translates into better outcomes for people and nature.” (6).
It considers that “rights-based approaches have been found to incorporate the diverse values of nature into local and national laws and constitutions (e.g., rights to a healthy environment, rights of nature, rights of Mother Earth, rights of specific entities like rivers, lakes, mountains)”, and that these are inspired by indigenous peoples and local communities (30).
Hence, the report determines that socio-cultural, customary, and rights-based environmental policy instruments—particularly rights of Nature—have more potential to support systemic transformations (30-31).
Involved Organizations
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2025. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor.https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/ipbes-summary-for-policymakers-of-the-methodological-assessment-of-the-diverse-values-and-valuation-of-nature/.
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