Integrating Climate Change Considerations into National Ecosystem Assessments

National ecosystem assessments are pivotal in shaping policy decisions related to sustainable development, conservation, and natural resource management. By incorporating climate change considerations into these assessments, countries can better understand the challenges posed by climate change and work towards safeguarding our biodiversity and ecosystem services. This is why the National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) Initiative published a new guidance document “Entry Points for Integrating Climate Change Considerations into National Ecosystem Assessments”.

The document recommends steps to incorporate potential future impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem services into scenarios for ecosystems, helping to ensure robust consideration of climate change in national ecosystem assessments and their contributions to policy making.

To further this effort, the Sub-Global Assessment Network (SGAN) at UNEP-WCMC held a webinar on Thursday 21 September 2023 aimed at sharing knowledge and best practices for integrating climate change considerations into national ecosystem assessments.