Call for nominations: IPBES Nature Futures Framework workshop

In order to catalyse further development of scenarios and models for future assessments of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the former IPBES expert group on scenarios and models and the current IPBES task force on scenarios and models developed the Nature Futures Framework, a flexible tool to support the development of scenarios and models of desirable futures for people, nature and Mother Earth, and related methodological guidance. In decision IPBES-9/2, the Plenary approved the workplan of the task force on scenarios and models of biodiversity and ecosystem services for the intersessional period 2022–2023, including a workshop to catalyse the further development of scenarios and models for future IPBES assessments, including by using the nature futures framework.

In this context, an in-person workshop will be organized from 14 to 16 November 2022, tentatively planned to be held in South Africa. The workshop will focus on the Nature Futures Framework methodological guidance. The objectives of the workshop are:

• To catalyse the further development of scenarios and models for future IPBES assessments, including by testing the nature futures framework and discussing its limits and opportunities;
• To collect additional feedback on the methodological guidance for using the nature futures framework, including potential challenges involved in its application; and
• To further catalyse the development of qualitative and quantitative case studies that would be available for the nexus and transformative change assessments.

The workshop will comprise about 20 experts and practitioners selected by the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel, which could include modellers, experts on social sciences and the humanities, policymakers, indigenous and local knowledge experts and experts on indigenous and local knowledge, from the pool of experts nominated by Governments and stakeholders.

Governments and other stakeholders are invited to nominate experts to participate in this workshop. Organizations or institutions wishing to nominate are not required to have the status of an observer to the Plenary of IPBES to make a nomination. Please help us to disseminate this call for nominations of relevant experts widely.

Nominated experts should have recognized expertise related to the future of biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people across different scales and disciplines, for example through the use of models, scenario development, visioning, storylines or other methods. All nominated experts (Nominees) will need to be available for the full duration of the workshop (14-16 November 2022).

• Please follow this procedure for nomination: Nominees are invited to fill out the application form and attach their curriculum vitae, through the dedicated web portal at: https://ipbes.net/application/nature_futures_framework_workshop_south_africa.
  
  (To access this page, you will need to log in with your IPBES web site login credentials. Nominees not yet registered on the IPBES web site will need to do so at https://ipbes.net/user/register). The nomination form is in English only and applications should be submitted in English, as the workshop will be conducted in English.
   
• The nominating Government or organization (Nominator) indicated by the Nominee will receive an email with a link to the nomination form and will be invited to approve and submit the nominations in the web portal. Only nominations approved and submitted by the Nominator will be considered for the workshop.
• Nominators and Nominees will receive a confirmation via email once the nomination has been duly submitted.

Interested experts wishing to be nominated by a Government are encouraged to contact their IPBES National Focal Point (https://www.ipbes.net/national-focal-points) regarding any country-specific processes or deadlines and are requested to fill out their application form by 1 September 2022. Nominators (Governments or organizations) should approve the applications and submit their nominations by 8 September 2022. Early nominations ahead of the deadline are encouraged.

Experts from developing countries selected to participate in the workshop and eligible for support will receive travel support.

Photo by Vincent van Zalinge on Unsplash