Nature Insight: Speed Dating with the Future

Values drive behaviour and are at the heart of all decisions. So how do we value nature? Is it economic or aesthetic or cultural? IPBES recently launched a major expert assessment on values to answer all of these questions and more. This week, Brit talks to Brigitte Baptiste, one of the co-chairs of the values assessment. They explore the different ways of valuing biodiversity and nature's contributions to people.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Every part of society has a vital role to play in protecting nature. Business has not typically been an ally to biodiversity, but this could be changing. This week’s guests are Samata and Marie-Claire Daveu. Samata is the CEO of the Red Carpet Green Dress campaign. Marie-Claire is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Kering, a global luxury group that manages brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and others. Join Rob as he asks them about the value of nature to business and how the private sector can help 'bend the curve' of biodiversity loss.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Coral reefs are iconic, but we have all seen the images of bleached areas that were previously teeming with life and colour. These ecosystems, and more broadly coastlines, are a vital part of the efforts to protect biodiversity. So how are coral reefs doing? Are we too late? Can we still secure a better future for reefs and people?

In this week’s episode, Brit talks to Dr. David Obura. David has studied coral reef resilience and adaptation his whole life. He founded CORDIO, a non-profit organisation specialising in finding solutions that benefit marine ecosystems and people.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

In the IPBES Global Assessment report, we learnt that to safeguard all life on Earth, we need transformative change. So what does that mean? How can we make it happen? This week's guest is Kai Chan. He is a professor at the University of British Columbia and one of the Coordinating Lead Authors of the Global Assessment.

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

How do we incorporate different knowledge systems in the battle for biodiversity? Billy Offland set off on a 2-year journey to learn about conservation from as many different people as possible. In his travels, he met Dr. Anne Poelina in the Kimberley in Western Australia. Anne is a Nyikina Warrwa Traditional Owner and chair of the Mardoowarra Fitzroy River Council.

What can we learn from the Fitzroy River Council? How do we create "forever industries"? How can we use this knowledge in global policymaking?

Music: River Feeling by Kalaji (Mark Coles Smith)

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

The COVID-19 pandemic took most of us by surprise, but not Dr. Peter Daszak. As a zoologist and expert on emerging diseases, he has been training his entire life for this kind of crisis. He is the president of EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit NGO that supports global health.

Should we blame nature for the virus? What are the root causes of pandemics? How does preserving biodiversity help us fight emerging diseases?

To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Join Rob and Brit as they ‘speed date’ with the future! Each week, they will introduce you to people with unique insights into the values of nature and our relationship with it. Subscribe now to learn how to make better choices about protecting all life on earth.

This podcast is brought to you by IPBES, the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.