Space to Grow: The Vital Importance of Biodiversity in Concrete Jungles

The annual value of industries highly dependent on nature amounts to15% of the global GDP, yet the benefits nature provides to businesses, as well as the impact of businesses on nature, are largely overlooked. This episode explores the business advantages of biodiversity conservation, and how companies can incorporate biodiversity as a core component of their sustainability strategies. It also looks ahead to the IPBES Business and Biodiversity Report which is due to be published in February 2026. The report’s co-authors, Matt Jones, (Chief Impact Officer at the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), and Ximena Rueada (an Associate Professor at the School of Management at Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia) both feature in the episode. To find out more about IPBES, go to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES

Is it possible to balance the needs of people with nature in our “concrete jungles”?  That is the question under scrutiny in this episode of ‘Nature Insight’. As the global population becomes ever more urbanized and cities are growing at an unprecedented rate  - particularly in the developing world - Rob Spaull and Brit Garner hear what needs to be done to protect nature in these built up environments. Brit and Rob hear from Loan Diep who is the Assistant Director of The Urban Systems Lab, an interdisciplinary research, design and practice space at New York University, and Carolina Figueroa, the director of SELVAR, a think and ‘do’ tank based in Colombia.    To find out more about IPBES, go to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES

What can be done with environments that have become degraded through human activity, and how can you set right what has gone wrong? That is the question that Brit Garner and Carla Brown explore in this episode of the podcast. They hear about the problems, challenges - and solutions - on land and in marine environments. Dr Yvonne Walz, the the head of the Environmental Vulnerability and Ecosystem Services Division at United Nations University in Germany explains the possibilities of rewilding and restoration. Carla also speaks to Sebastian Villasante, a Lecturer in Environmental Economics at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain about his personal and professional passion for rewilding marine environments To find out more about IPBES, go to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES

The impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss are felt in distinct and often unequal ways. The developing world is often hardest hit and has the least capacity to deal with the consequences of environmental degradation. Most notably it is often women who are hardest hit. In addition, the voices of women are often marginalised when discussing and dealing with these challenges. In this episode Brit - who is joined by Carla - speaks to Dr. Nadia Sitas who is from South Africa and works for The Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Brit also interviews Nita Shashidharan who is a researcher with the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment in Southern India. Nita talks of the experiences of women who are involved as researchers and scientists, and how gender is a consideration in how they go about their work.   To find out more about IPBES, go to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES  

A healthy environment means a healthy planet. But how does nature contribute to the well-being of people - in less direct ways - than the health of the land, air and water? That is the question under the spotlight in this episode of Nature Insight. Brit speaks to Rachelle Gould, an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at the University Of Vermont, who has studied this issue. In addition, she interviews Nick Roskruge, a retired professor of ethnobotany who is active in the Enviroschools Programme in New Zealand. He is passionate about keeping traditional Māori horticultural knowledge alive by stressing the importance of Indigenous systems of knowledge and education. To find out more about IPBES, go to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES

In the first episode of the Nature Insight’s new season, Brit Garner and Rob Spaull set sail  - literally and figuratively - on a journey inspired by one of history’s most influential naturalists. In ‘Darwin’s Wake - New Horizons for Nature Science’ they explore how today’s scientists, conservationists and others are influenced by Charles Darwin’s legacy and discover how biodiversity science has changed in the 21st century. In this episode Brit interviews Victor Rault, leader of a multi-year, round-the-world expedition retracing the route of Darwin’s voyage on the HMS Beagle which  took place almost two hundred years ago. Rob speaks to Professor Alex Antonelli, the Executive Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in the UK. It is home to the largest collection of living plants from around the world and Rob hears about its historical connections to Darwin and his legacy today.  To find out more about IPBES, go to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES

Nature Insight is back for a fifth season! Join Brit, Rob and new addition, Carla, as they speed date with experts who offer unique insights into the values of nature and the world we all share – from the legacy of Darwin and inspirational lessons from indigenous Maori culture to how business both depends on and impacts nature. Subscribe now, for a backstage pass to better-informed choices about protecting all life on earth. Coming soon!   To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

George the Pinta Island tortoise and Martha the passenger pigeon achieved fame as 'endlings’ - the last individuals of their species. Their passing is tragic, but can their fate perhaps help us to protect other threatened species?  In this final episode of Season 4, Brit interviews Dr. Alexander Lees, from Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, who has been working on Amazonian conservation issues for more than 20 years and has a particular interest in birdlife. Brit also hears from Joanna Lilley,  a poet who uses verse to capture the beauty and tragedy of endlings. To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

Global challenges require the most robust evidence for the best possible responses - which is also key to conserve, restore and sustainably use biodiversity. So, it is vital to include as many perspectives, from as many parts of the world as possible, to understand the full picture, and to ensure that the results are used in every part of the globe. In this episode, we explore why some regions are less engaged in the IPBES processes, and what is being done to address this challenge. Rob talks to Dr. Axel Paulsch, Geo-Ecologist from the University of Bayreuth in Germany and Chair of the Institute of Biodiversity Network about the work they are doing in Eastern Europe and Central Asia; as well as to Dr. Isimemen Osemwegie – Programme Coordinator at CABES, an organization working to research and protect biodiversity in West, Central and East Africa. To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.

We humans have our favourites in the natural world. Just consider the status accorded to pandas, lions, and elephants. Charismatic species get a lot of attention, and not only from the public, but also from scientists and policy makers. We spend significant resources on studying, conserving and telling their stories. But what about ‘ugly’ species? What kind of impact does our lesser interest in them have on their existence and conservation as a whole? In this episode Rob hears from Simon Watt, a biologist and president of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, which crowned ‘Mr. Blobby’ as the ugliest animal in the world. Rob also talks to Professor Bob Smith at the University of Kent, about so-called ‘Cinderella’ species and how we can change things for ‘ugly’ species. To find out more about IPBES, head to www.ipbes.net or follow us on social media @IPBES.