The overall objective for this coordination and support action is to support the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the implementation of its work programme aiming to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human wellbeing and sustainable development. With the requested EU grant to the IPBES trust fund, the EU would support IPBES across all its functions and structures, including its governing bodies, its secretariat, and its work programme, addressing the further development of work on capacity and knowledge foundations, the communication and evaluation of the Platform's activities, deliverables and findings, including policy tools, and the synthesis, review, assess and critical evaluation of relevant information and knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services, generated by governments, academia, scientific organizations, nongovernmental organizations and indigenous and local communities from the EU and worldwide.

The International Resource Panel (IRP) was launched by the European Commission and set up in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2007, at the request of Member States. Its objective is to provide scientific knowledge on the issues related to sustainable resource management so that policy makers use that knowledge to inform decision-making. The IRP addresses the topics of resource efficiency, management of raw materials and decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation. It will build a roadmap for defining a safe operating space for resource use and projecting scenarios for resource use. It will also aim at better understanding how to prevent unintended negative consequences from resource efficiency on societies. The Panel is a science-policy interface that serves as a platform for exchange between eminent scientists from around the world and the policy community. As such, it provides the scientific experts with an insight into the knowledge needs of policy makers, while providing policy makers and other stakeholders with the best available scientific knowledge on resource related issues as a basis for developing sustainable development policies. In order to achieve its objectives, the IRP will: - Publish independent, coherent and authoritative scientific assessments of policy relevance on resource use and related environmental impacts developed and made available to policymakers and other relevant stakeholders. - Communicate findings of IRP scientific assessments effectively to policymakers and other relevant stakeholders in order to improve awareness and understanding of the importance of resources for sustainable development and poverty reduction, as well as for meeting all the Sustainable development Goals (SDGs). - Conduct capacity building courses and/or workshop and develop appropriate supporting tools to enhance the capacity of policymakers and other stakeholders to understand and use relevant scientific infor

The overall objective for this action is to support the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the implementation of its rolling work programme up to 2030, as set out in annex I to decision IPBES-7/1. The IPBES rolling work programme up to 2030 aims to advance the achievement of the overall objective of IPBES, which is to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development.

The InvECAT project aims to mobilize voluntary energy efficiency and sustainable energy investment by companies and financial institutions through the development of standardized frameworks and tools and outreach by critical convening and marketing powers (UNEP FI, and Bloomberg). The project will thus enable credible, standardized non-state actor (NSA) energy and climate commitments that directly contribute to the achievement of EU and global energy and climate goals. At its core, InvECAT develops a “toolkit” for energy and climate target setting and monitoring that companies, financial institutions, regulators and policy makers can exploit to support domestic and global energy and climate goals. Policy makers and governments will have access to a framework and standard templates to define NSA pledges and a monitoring platform tracking alignment to such goals. Companies and financial institutions, reached by large corporate and financial sector networks at WRI and WWF will access target-setting tools that track progress toward existing commitments and the ability to set more ambitious ones. The project will further achieve broad market acceptance through the first international standard measuring the finance sector’s contribution to the Paris Agreement. The work done through InvECAT will address all types of energy-climate actions, thus covering both sustainable energy and energy efficiency. It builds on market leading data and tool initiatives (e.g. H2020 SEI Metrics project) and commitment initiatives (Science Based Targets initiative and UNFCCC NAZCA portal), while integrating an expanded focus on energy efficiency. The market uptake of the toolkit by all stakeholders (companies, financial institutions, policy makers, civil society) is supported by the extensive outreach and strong networks that consortium members have developed in over 20+ years of experience.

Poorly planned cities in developing countries create dangerous traffic environments and traffic congestion is growing in many of these rapidly growing conurbations. There is a need for plans and policies that ensure a more equitable appropriation of space for different types of travel modes, from the standpoint of equity, accessibility, safety and environmental protection. Inclusive travel options to allow access within cities to education, healthcare and employment is a critical component of sustainable urbanization; however, of the annual 1.25 million road traffic fatalities globally, 90% are in low and middle-income countries such as those in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Africa has the joint highest road crash fatality rate of all global regions and transport-related deaths are growing and overtaking some major diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, leprosy, hepatitis and malaria. Over half of all fatalities are among vulnerable groups (e.g. pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users) and death and injury burdens are heavily skewed towards lower income groups. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for inclusive and sustainable urbanization including increasing the capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management. There is a specific request for improving road safety incorporating local level planning reform to ensure clean and safe mobility within urban systems. Creative methods (e.g. the use of arts interventions, including drama, participatory map making, storytelling, creative writing, photography, etc.) have a particular contribution to make in revealing vulnerable peoples' needs and desires for urban mobility. They have demonstrated value in effectively communicating these needs between stakeholders addressing the need for inclusion in planning processes irrespective of age, gender, religion, origin or economic status. The arts and humanities have a role to play in bringing forward new viewpoints and generating novel solutions by providing a discussion space to explore these key issues. Sometimes providing a counterpoint or challenge to existing bureaucratic and technical knowledge and power processes. This project will build a network of UK arts and humanities academics with their counterparts from East Africa alongside local urban planners, designers, NGOs, civil society groups and urban decision makers. The UK participants have experience of a range of creative approaches used to reveal different groups problems (in relation to mobility and travel); but methods that are also useful in helping identify novel solutions co-designed with these groups themselves. The network will identify how these approaches could be developed and used in East Africa to help address issues around sustainable travel options for all residents of the regions rapidly growing cities contributing to the delivery of the SDGs.