From: Collins, Margaret [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2011 1:10 AM
The U.S. National Committee for DIVERSITAS of the National Academy of Sciences is pleased to invite you to a Public Forum on the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Tuesday, November 29, 2011 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. The Seminar will be held in the Alfred Nobel Hall of the House of Sweden 2900 K St, NW Washington, DC. ADMISSION IS FREE, BUT WE REQUEST THAT YOU REGISTER ONLINE at http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/biso/DIVERSITAS/PGA_065789 Please feel free to forward this Invitation to Colleagues who might be interested in the topic. Agenda Moderator: Peter Raven, Chairman, USNC DIVERSITAS 2:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks: Global Threats to Ecosystems and Biodiversity Peter Raven, President Emeritus, Missouri Botanical Garden 2:30 Global Assessments and Policy Making: IPBES, IPCC, and the MA Thomas Lovejoy, Biodiversity Chair, Heinz Center for Science 3:00 IPBES and the Science-Policy Interface Charles Perrings, Professor of Environmental Economics, Arizona State University (via video link) 3:30 IPBES Negotiations: What has been agreed, Questions still to come Douglas Beard, Chief, USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center 4:00 IPBES and the Science Community: Shaping and Carrying Out IPBES Panel with Representatives of Scientific Societies, Academic Institutions and NGOs Discussion and Suggestions from Audience Panel will include: John Fitzgerald, Policy Director, Society for Conservation Biology 5:00 Reception in the Atrium Lounge With appreciation for the French wines provided by the Embassy of France Co-sponsored by: DIVERSITAS Embassy of France NRC Board on Environmental Change and Society Society for Conservation Biology Ecological Society of America IPBES Background, and the purpose of this Public Forum The Intergovernmental Science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is designed to be an interface between the global scientific community and policymakers that aims at building capacity for and strengthening the use of science in policymaking. Approved by the UN General Assembly in early 2011, the framework and responsibilities of the IPBES are being negotiated at two plenary meetings in 2011 and early 2012, organized under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in cooperation with UNESCO, FAO and UNDP. Like IPCC, it is being established with the intention of ensuring that the best available science is offered to Governments and decision makers. This session is designed to inform and update the Washington science and policy communities on the rationale and plans for the IPBES, describe the progress at the first IPBES plenary session, and explore opportunities for scientists, scientific societies, and NGOs to contribute to both the shaping and the execution of IPBES, in order to maximize its value for both scientific understanding and policy formulation. DIVERSITAS has been designated by ICSU to represent the science community in those sessions. The US National Committee for DIVERSITAS, chaired by Peter Raven, has been funded by NSF to work with relevant scientific organizations to educate and engage the U.S. science community with regard to the IPBES. This informational public forum, and the discussions with the audience, is the first step in the USNC's process. More information on IPBES is available here. If you have questions about the program, please contact Margaret Goud Collins ([email protected])
