A recent publication in the Nature journal, based on the IPBES Values Assessment, studies concepts that are referred to in SELINA’s work.

The paper argues that there is an urgent need to understand how and why nature is (under)valued, to reconsider the prioritisation of a subset of values, particularly those linked to markets, and to ignore other ways people relate to and benefit from nature.

Derived from over 50,000 scientific studies, policy papers, and inputs from indigenous and local knowledge, the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) conducted and comprehensive evaluation of the diverse values of nature and the methodologies for valuing them. Through the analysis, the IPBES aimed to enhance the understanding of how these values can inform policymaking and be more integrated into decision-making processes. Guided by this evidence, the authors of the paper put forth a range of value-centred approaches to enhance valuation practices and overcome barriers to implementation. All these efforts seek to catalyse transformative shifts towards more equitable and sustainable futures, where both people and nature are treated justly, encompassing considerations of inter- and intragenerational fairness.

SELINA will also contribute to studying the uptake of ecosystem services valuation in the policy decision-making cycle. By mapping and assessing ecosystem services, the project will diagnose, develop and test the capabilities of ecosystem services assessment approaches, models and indicators that increase the likelihood of uptake in decision-making. As a result, SELINA will provide guidance to better enable ecosystem services models for informative, technical and decisive purposes at different stages of project and policy cycles.