Options for governance and decision-making across scales and sectors

Abstract

Chapter 6 of the IPBES regional assessment for Europe and Central Asia explores governance options and institutional arrangements for better consideration of biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people in public and private decision-making. Biodiversity, nature’s contributions to people, and good quality of life are relevant to a wide range of sectors and actors. Hence, addressing the underlying causes of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation requires a critical assessment of primary economic sectors such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries as well as energy and mining. The governance of these sectors and their management practices, and the way in which these impact on nature, call for implementing existing policies more effectively and improving the current situation through additional commitments. The assessment shows that there is considerable potential for more biodiversity-friendly, land-use practices, production methods and healthier consumer choices, for example through improved awareness raising, accounting tools, education and information-based instruments. This potential is also available to industries, manufacturing and the service sectors. However, mainstreaming biodiversity across economic sectors and different stakeholder groups requires joint efforts by public and private actors and strong public policies to enable implementation of appropriate strategies. Strengthening political support for environmental improvement is as necessary as building competent and effective environmental institutions, mobilizing finance for environmental and conservation priorities, monitoring progress and readjusting targets and integrating environmental policies into sectoral policies.

After providing an overview of major international, regional and transboundary environmental governance relevant to Europe and Central Asia, the focus of our chapter is on biodiversity conservation and environmental policies as well as major economic sectors affecting biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people: What are the major policy objectives, predominant governance modes and instruments currently governing these sectors? What are key constraints or opportunities within these sectors regarding biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people? Finally, major insights for mainstreaming and integrating biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people within and across different sectors are synthesized.