We are excited to share that Professor Julia Leventon from CzechGlobe, a key partner in the SSH CENTRE project, has been significantly involved in a global initiative that aligns closely with our project’s objectives and activities. For the past three years, Prof. Leventon has been a coordinating lead author for the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) Transformative Change Assessment.

The summary for policymakers negotiated between approximately 150 member countries and the scientific team, including Prof. Leventon, was formally accepted in Namibia shortly before Christmas 2024. This assessment underscores the urgent need for transformative change for a just and sustainable world, defining it as “fundamental, system-wide shifts in views, structures, and practices that address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss and nature’s decline”. 

The report highlights that everyone can contribute to transformative change through actions at individual, local, national, regional, and global scales. 

It outlines:

  • Three underlying causes of biodiversity loss and interlinked components of the polycrisis (e.g., climate change, pollution, inequality).
  • Four principles that ensure shifts in views, structures, and practices address these underlying causes.
  • Five strategies for enacting transformative change across sectors and systems.

According to Prof. Leventon, “The report outlines the underlying causes as dominant patterns and paradigms in societies concerning how we relate to nature, pursue high material consumption, and enforce social inequities. Addressing these therefore requires understanding how individuals, societies, economies, and policy systems function and change; all questions within the realms of SSH research.”

There have been increasing calls across science and policy for transformative change to address the accelerating and interconnected problems of biodiversity loss and climate change (and more). For example, the IPCC calls for societal transformations to unlock adaptation, and the European Green Deal should transform European societies to being climate resilient and carbon neutral. The IPBES report outlines what is meant by transformative change, key strategies and principles for acheiving it, and highlights the roles of actors across society.

Welcome to read the Summary for Policy Makers: https://zenodo.org/records/14513975 

To learn more about the transformative change assessment, view the teaser video: /link: https://youtu.be/TEdWg2E_-ws?si=9x8Oui_JuxjtRwrf

We are proud of Prof. Leventon’s contributions to this critical global initiative and look forward to the continued impact of her work in promoting transformative change. This involvement not only highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research but also reinforces the SSH CENTRE project’s commitment to addressing the underlying causes of global challenges through social sciences and humanities.

Stay tuned for more updates on our project’s activities and achievements!