ePeerReview: Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Comments

Found 19 items (out of 590 total)

Reset Your search: Global Environmental Facility (GEF) | Round 1

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 0 Line(s): Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

An issue raised during IMoSEB consultations was that any new body/initiative should avoid duplicating the efforts of governmental and NGO scientific research or organisation at the local, regional and international levels. Therefore, the note requires more elaboration on how the IPBES will add value to ongoing work at local and regional levels on the interface of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Response: Value added for IPBES clarified in executive summary.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 0 Line(s): Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

The concept note assumes that the development of IPBES is the most cost-effective and efficient way to translate scientific knowledge into concrete policy action at national level. Within the context of GEF support to Governments to meet their obligations under the MEAs, it has been found that transforming science into policy at national level is catalyzed through program and project interventions that directly strengthen capacities at national level. Thus, the concept note would be strengthened by more carefully focusing on the added-value that IPBES can play in building capacity through synthetic analyses and assessments, like the IPCC, and avoid direct support to national capacity building.

Response: Value added for IPBES clarified in executive summary.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 4 Line(s): 15 Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

GEF doesn't agree with the IPBES providing direct scientific support to national governments. This both curtails the development of national capacity and is unattainable in real terms.

Response: Deleted to avoid confusion.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 4 Line(s): 17 Issue: IPBES and other ongoing processes	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

There is overlap with scientific bodies already in place for MEAs such as SBSTTA. Concept note is not clear as to how duplication will be avoided.

Response: Clarified the links btw. IPBES, SBSTTA, and CBD-COP in executive summary.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 4 Line(s): 20 Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

It is unclear how IPBES can cost-effectively provide this kind of information flow to decision-makers at "appropriate levels. Pursuant to the ecosystem approach, decision-makers closest to the ground are making the resource management decisions that are most crucial for biodiversity and ecosystem services. It is not clear how IPBES can feasibly achieve this in any meaningful way.

Response: One of the main activities that IPBES will take are sub-global assessments (SGAs), and these are by definition stakeholder driven, therefore the information generated will be transmitted to the relevant stakeholders throughout the process.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 4 Line(s): 25 Issue: IPBES and other ongoing processes	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

GEF sees little value in the IPBES attempting to influence scientific research agendas. Science should be left to scientists, including their choice of research priorities. The IPBES should be providing synthetic analyses and assessments, like IPCC, on the existing consensus on the state of knowledge of different questions pertinent to the global environment.

Response: Noted and revised accordingly.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 5 Line(s): 6 Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

The IPBES should not be involved in "capacity building" at the national level. This is addressed by myriad other organizations and mechanisms that have comparative advantages in expertise, cost-effectiveness, and experience. This is another example present in the concept note where the IPBES proposes to subsume roles of existing agencies and bodies, with no rationale for such an approach or justified added-value.

Response: Noted and revised accordingly.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 5 Line(s): 9 Issue: Clarity of text	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

point 8 - The document says the IPBES should be "independent" and "responsive to user needs". GEF considers that these are conflicting attributes and more careful and precise language should be used here. GEF prefers that the document refer to an IPBES that is "independent" and "policy-relevant".

Response: One of the main strengths of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) as highlighted in the independent evaluations was the availability of user needs and questions to guide the assessment. This does not imply that the credibility of the assessment is compromised. What it does ensure is the policy-relevance of the whole exercise.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 5 Line(s): 13 Issue: Institutional arrangements	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

With regards to the governance structure, the concept note should address how the balance of participation between developing and developed countries will be decided.

Response: Various options on institutional arrangements have been presented in working documents prepared for the November meeting, UNEP/IPBES/1/4 and UNEP/IPBES/1/5.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 5 Line(s): 22 Issue: IPBES and other ongoing processes	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

point (c) - The concept proposes that the IPBES "supports" a myriad of agencies, governments and civil society with "scientific advice". GEF believes that this would duplicate the function of many scientific and research bodies that exist and are better placed to fulfill this function. This should not be a primary or even secondary function of the IPBES as this would also lead to a loss of independence.

Response: Further clarification made in the revised concept note.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 5 Line(s): 25 Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

point (d) - This is another example of the concept note over reaching in terms of the objective of IPBES. Thus, GEF disagrees with the IPBES setting research priorities for the scientific community or any funding agencies.

Response: Deleted.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 5 Line(s): 29 Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

point (e) - GEF does not believe that the IPBES is the correct mechanism or body best suited to turn assessment findings about biodiversity and ecosystem service losses into action through engagement with decision-makers. GEF believes that this role is best played by the relevant national agencies responsible for such action.

Response: Noted and revised accordingly.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 6 Line(s): 7 Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

para 13 - Relating to sub-global MA assessments, given the variable performance and country-ownership of the SGAs supported under the MA, it is questionable whether an international body like the IPBES, which will be far removed from national realities and priorities, is the right mechanism to support existing SGAs or to expand SGAs to other regions. GEF remains circumspect as to whether this is the most efficient use of an intergovernrnental science-policy platform when other agencies demonstrate a distinct comparative advantage to support and implement such work at the national level. GEF recommends here that the concept note carefully frame the role of IPBES, consistent with its primary objective, and focus on sharing the lessons learned and the policy-relevant information from the experiences of the SGAs themselves.

Response: Noted and revised accordingly.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 6 Line(s): 10 Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

para 12 - This section is rather confusing as it states that the "IPBES Phase I" will support global change programs of the ESSP, in particular Diversitas. What is the rationale for such support? Earlier in the concept note, the proposal identifies a need to fold these initiatives into a new body, the IPBES, not become the building blocks of the new body. This should be clarified.

Response: Noted and revised accordingly.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 6 Line(s): 20 Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

Relating to the expected accomplishments, GEF does not believe that the IPBES should have as its function the identification of financing options for research on changes in the biosphere. Clearly this can not be the added-value we seek from an intergovernmental science-policy platform.

Response: Undetaking SGAs under IPBES will allow development of common assessment protocols and methods that will allow scaling-up of assessments from local to global and facilitate meta-analysis at multiple scales.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 7 Line(s): 15 Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

para 14 - Relating to the section on policy support, under expected accomplishments, (iii), while GEF believes that the IPBES could play a key role in advancing the knowledge base on incentives for sustaining ecosystem services through identifying and evaluating various market mechanisms, many of which already have a solid knowledge base, GEF would not see a role for IPBES to support national testing of such mechanisms in pilot projects.

Response: Noted and IPBES is not intended to undertake testing of economic incentives but to provide information, assessment and evaluation of existing mechanisms.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 8 Line(s): 18 Issue: Clarity of text	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

point ii - Given that the overall document does not get into this level of detail (food security, biofuels), it is recommend that this sentence be deleted or edited to read "Evaluations of current emerging issues related to biodiversity and ecosystem services."

Response: Incorporated verbatim

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 8 Line(s): 20 Issue: Role of IPBES	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

para 16 - As noted previously, capacity building should not be included as a mandate or central activity of IPBES.

Response: Noted and deleted.

Concept Note
1. Concept Note Page(s): 9 Line(s): 24 Issue: Institutional arrangements	Monique Barbut Institutional (mbarbut@theGEF.org) Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

Relating to the operational structures, GEF takes note of the presentation of detailed plans for IPBES operations including an operational steering group, scientific steering group, and a secretariat before the exact function of IPBES is agreed in detail. This is slightly worrisome.

Response: The objective of the concept note is to provide the needs and modality of an IPBES which should include the indication of possible governance structures.