It is with great pleasure that we announce Rafael Loyola participation in the next CSRio Seminar, presenting the talk: “Is it a match? The relationship between science and government”, on May 16 (Thursday) at 4 pm, at the Auditorio do Direito (B8). Rafael Loyola is a professor in the Department of Ecology at UFG, Research Productivity Scholarship level 1A at CNPq and member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. He is currently the Scientific Director of the Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development, where he manages projects and the team responsible for providing adequate support to decision-making and the formulation of intersectoral environmental policies in Brazil. He is the author of more than 180 scientific publications, including 11 books, editor for the Americas of the journal “Biological Conservation” and scientific advisor to numerous international and national journals and development agencies The meetings are open to the public, and the discussion followed by the presentation will be conducted in an open and participatory manner. No prior registration is required. A certificate will be issued to participants who request it. Questions and information: contato@csrio.usuarios.rdc.puc-rio.br We count on the participation of all and all! Date: 05/16/2019 Time: 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Address: Auditorio do Direito (B8) – 8th floor Ed Frings, PUC-Rio. R. Marquês de São Vicente, 225 – Gávea

Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history — and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with grave impacts on people around the world now likely, warns a landmark new report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the summary of which was approved at the 7th session of the IPBES Plenary, meeting last week (29 April – 4 May) in Paris. The report has two major main messages. On the one hand, it shows a tragic picture of the devastation of the planet’s nature and the enormous negative consequences of this devastation for human well-being. On the other hand, based on multiple scientific studies and practical success stories, it illuminates ways to reverse this situation and at the same time achieve a state of equilibrium in our relationship with the rest of nature and the major sustainable development goals that humanity has set for itself. It brings out the warning of the catastrophic situation and the ways out of it. “The overwhelming evidence of the IPBES Global Assessment, from a wide range of different fields of knowledge, presents an ominous picture,” said IPBES Chair, Sir Robert Watson. “The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.” The Brazilian researcher Bernardo Strassburg, IIS´s Executive Diretor, Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and coordinator of the the Centre for Conservation and Sustainability Science (CSRio)  is one of the leader authors of the assessment. His main contributions focused on the fifth chapter, on possible ways out of today’s dire situation for a sustainable future. The main message is that only with transformative changes, coordinated within different sectors we will achieve a sustainable future. “The good news is that we do not need any new invention, all the elements needed for the transition to sustainability are already being implemented successfully in several regions of the planet, albeit on a small scale and in isolation,” stresses Strassburg. Among the several proven measures are the expansion of protected areas and indigenous lands, an integrated spatial planning that reconciles areas for agricultural production, areas for conservation and areas for nature restoration. These elements were illustrated in the report with Brazilian success stories, which have already led to the largest deforestation reduction the world has seen in a short time (in the Amazon between 2005 and 2012) and the remarkable experiences that combine production, conservation and restoration. “These Brazilian examples of success stories in the global report reinforce our unique potential to lead the world in a transition that reconciles protection to nature and its multiple contributions to us with sustainable rural development and an international differential. For the agricultural sector, such a scenario will avoid the current degradation of soils, water resources and pollination, while at the same time positioning Brazilian agribusiness in the leadership of green agriculture, which is already becoming a requirement in large consumer markets “, concludes Strassburg. “The member States of IPBES Plenary have now acknowledged that, by its very nature, transformative change can expect opposition from those with interests vested in the status quo, but also that such opposition can be overcome for the broader public good,” Watson said. The IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services is the most comprehensive ever completed. It is the first intergovernmental Report of its kind and builds on the landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment of 2005, introducing innovative ways of evaluating evidence. Compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries over the past three years, with inputs from another 310 contributing authors, the Report assesses changes over the past five decades, providing a comprehensive picture of the relationship between economic development pathways and their impacts on nature. It also offers a range of possible scenarios for the coming decades. In addition to Strasssburg, contributed to the study IIS´s Executive Director, Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and coordinator of the the Centre for Conservation and Sustainability Science (CSRio)  Agniezka Latawiec and IIS´s research assistant Fernanda Tubenchlak. Based on the systematic review of about 15,000 scientific and government sources, the Report also draws (for the first time ever at this scale) on indigenous and local knowledge, particularly addressing issues relevant to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. The Report finds that around 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades, more than ever before in human history. The average abundance of native species in most major land-based habitats has fallen by at least 20%, mostly since 1900. More than 40% of amphibian species, almost 33% of reefforming corals and more than a third of all marine mammals are threatened. The picture is less clear for insect species, but available evidence supports a tentative estimate of 10% being threatened. At least 680 vertebrate species had been driven to extinction since the 16th century and more than 9% of all domesticated breeds of mammals used for food and agriculture had become extinct by 2016, with at least 1,000 more breeds still threatened. To increase the policy-relevance of the Report, the assessment’s authors have ranked, for the first time at this scale and based on a thorough analysis of the available evidence, the five direct drivers of change in nature with the largest relative global impacts so far. These culprits are, in descending order: (1) changes in land and sea use; (2) direct exploitation of organisms; (3) climate change; (4) pollution and (5) invasive alien species. The Report notes that, since 1980, greenhouse gas emissions have doubled, raising average global temperatures by at least 0.7 degrees Celsius – with climate change already impacting nature from the level of ecosystems to that of genetics – impacts expected to increase over the coming decades, in some cases surpassing the impact of land and sea use change and other drivers. Despite progress

Watch the video of the CSRio Seminar that took place at PUC-Rio on April 25, 2019, with Fernanda Gomes, communication manager of the International Institute for Sustainability. Fernanda presented the lecture “Psychology of Conservation and Communication in the transition to sustainability”, which addressed the role of communication as a tool of conservation psychology in the change of behaviors related to conservation of resources and ecosystems. Access the video (in Portuguese).

We invite you to the seminar “Conservation Psychology and Communication for the transition to Sustainability”, on April 25 (Thursday) , 16h, Auditorium B8, Frings Building, at PUC-Rio. We will host Fernanda Gomes who will address the role of communication as a tool of conservation psychology in the change of behaviors related to the conservation of resources and ecosystems, in the harmonious relationship between all elements of nature and in the improvement of the quality of life related to sustainability aspects. The meetings are open to the public, and the discussion followed by the presentation will be conducted in an open and participatory manner. No prior registration is required. A certificate will be issued to participants who request it. Questions and information: contato@csrio.usuarios.rdc.puc-rio.br We count on the participation of all and all! Date: 04/25/2019 Time: 16-19h + Happy Hour Address: Auditorio do Direito (B8) – 8th floor Ed Frings, PUC-Rio. R. Marquês de São Vicente, 225 – Gávea Fernanda Gomes has a Master’s degree in Marketing Communication from the University of Westminster in England, a Bachelor’s degree in Social Communication from Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná (UTP-PR), a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) and is pursuing a degree in Biological Sciences from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). See has worked in agencies and communications and marketing department of large companies and nongovernmental organizations in Brazil and abroad. She was a Fellow of the Department of Ecology at UFRJ and is a co-founder of an NGO dedicated to scientific dissemination. She currently work as Communications Manager for the International Institute for Sustainability (IIS) and the Rio Conservation and Sustainability Science Center (CSRio), developing communication strategies for scientific dissemination, awareness-raising among decision-makers and implementation of conservation projects together to communities – more specifically focused on the awareness and behavior change of the various actors.