Conservation Success through IPBES-Guided Transformative Change

Abstract

In response to our Perspective on integrating proximal and horizon threats to biodiversity [1], Titeux et al. [2] objected to one of our sentences: ‘Titeux et al. [3] specifically highlight the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) as biased towards climate change research.’ To be more precise, Titeux et al. [3] stated in the abstract that ‘biodiversity scenarios mostly focus on the future impacts of climate change’ and that ‘the current state of integration between ecological and land system sciences is leading to biased estimation of actual risks and therefore constrains the implementation of forward-looking policy responses to biodiversity decline.’ They then concluded the paper with a call: ‘IPBES offers a timely opportunity for taking up this challenge, but this independent body can only do so if adequate research efforts are undertaken.’ We appreciate that Titeux et al. [2] felt it necessary to correct our, admittedly, simplified summation of their work. However, we do not believe that this amounted to misrepresentation (although readers can judge for themselves).