Four years of dedicated work by an international group of experts recently culminated in Bonn, Germany, when a new IPBES consensus report on invasive species was approved during the 10th IPBES Plenary Session, attended by representatives from all 140 member countries.
The new report highlights invasive species as one of the main drivers of the global biodiversity crisis, in which the decline of species and ecosystems poses a serious threat to nature, the economy, food security, and human health. Invasive species are estimated to play a role in 60% of plant and animal extinctions worldwide. At the same time, the economic costs associated with invasive species are estimated to total a staggering $234 billion.
See also: Invasive species threaten global biodiversity
The plenary session took place in Bonn from August 28 to September 2 and culminated in the adoption of the new report, *Alien Invasive Species Assessment*. An international team of 86 scientists and experts from 49 countries led the more than four-year effort to produce the report, which will serve as an important research-based tool in areas such as policy-making going forward.
Among the report’s authors is Alejandro Ordonez, an associate professor at Aarhus University:
“Invasive alien species are a major but often overlooked threat to biodiversity. They cause irreparable damage to nature, including the local and regional extinction of other species, while also threatening human well-being,” he explains.
Among other things, the new report quantifies how invasive species have been a major factor in 60% of the global extinction of plant and animal species for which researchers have data. At the same time, invasive species have been the sole driving force behind the extinction of 16% of the world’s plant and animal species.
Invasive Species on the Move
The report draws on more than 13,000 references, including important contributions from indigenous peoples and local communities, making it the most comprehensive report to date on invasive species worldwide.
One of the more complex aspects of invasive species is the reasons behind how species have been transported around the world, explains Alejandro Ordonez:
“Many non-native species have historically been introduced to new areas because it was believed that these species could provide certain benefits. But the report indicates that 85% of invasive alien species have a negative impact on native species,” he says.
In Europe, including Denmark, the signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) is an example of this negative impact, as it not only displaces the native crayfish (Astacus astacus) but also carries the disease crayfish plague.
Historically, humans have benefited from moving species around the world—a practice that has increased in step with globalization. But this comes at a cost that affects both nature and people:
“Alien invasive species are a challenge that requires action. That is why one of the report’s key messages is that ambitious progress in managing invasive species is achievable. Helping to formulate these potential solutions has been a major part of my role as coordinating author of the report,” says Alejandro Ordonez.
An important tool for achieving global goals
The potential solutions outlined in the report include, among other things, the need for coherent policies and codes of conduct across sectors, the need to include indigenous peoples and local communities in the development of policy measures, as well as the necessity of involving citizens as key partners in contributing knowledge and preventing future invasive species outbreaks.
Reducing the introduction and establishment of invasive species by at least 50% by 2030 is one of the main goals of the global Kunming-Montreal Agreement adopted by the international community during COP 15 last December. The new IPBES report, officially titled *Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control*, will be an important contribution to achieving this goal through research-based knowledge, tools, and proposed solutions.
Read more about the report on the IPBES website.
The report will be available on the IPBES Denmark website once it is published. Find previous reports here.
