IBAT celebrates doubled investment in nature data 

The Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) Alliance, of which we are a partner, has announced that its 2024 investment in biodiversity data reached a record level of USD 2.5 million – an increase from USD 1.2 million in 2023. This growth further consolidates IBAT’s position as a leading curator of world-leading biodiversity data.

Header image: Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica, recognised in the World Database on Protected Areas and World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas. © IBAT

Ed Ellis, Head of IBAT, said: “It is fantastic and inspiring that IBAT has been able to invest a record USD 2.5m into biodiversity data in 2024, surpassing investments made in previous years. This contribution to the sustainability of world-leading biodiversity data plays a crucial role in ensuring these datasets continue to be updated and expand, increasing our understanding of the health of our planet and the species and places most in need of conservation. The growing use of IBAT shows that more private sector actors are recognising the importance of incorporating biodiversity into their operational decisions and highlights that key role that businesses can play in bending the curve on biodiversity loss.”

The vital funds generated will be reinvested back into three of the world’s most authoritative biodiversity datasets, supporting critical updates and maintenance:

– The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)

– The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™

– The World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas (WDKBA)

This ensures access to credible, science-based global biodiversity data for accurate screening and reporting, enabling meaningful action for nature. It also helps build a more complete picture of the state of nature globally, enhancing our understanding of threats to biodiversity and driving tangible conservation action.

The growth in funds demonstrates that businesses and financial institutions around the world are investing in authoritative biodiversity data and incorporating it into their decision-making. This is driving real action on the ground at an ever-increasing scale. By yearend, over 200 private sector organisations had used IBAT to access biodiversity data, and in doing so provided critical funds that are used to further their development. 

For over 300 organisations leveraging IBAT in their risk and opportunity screening, access to scientifically robust and high-integrity biodiversity data is paramount. This crucial foundation is made possible through the dedicated collaboration of IBAT Alliance partners and authoritative data holders, who collectively provide scientific, accurate, and up-to-date biodiversity information.

BirdLife International’s contributions are central to this data quality. Our Science team’s Red List unit ensures the comprehensive assessment of bird species for the IUCN Red List, a key dataset within IBAT. Meanwhile, the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Secretariat, housed within BirdLife, plays a pivotal role in driving increased global KBA assessments and rigorously applying KBA standards worldwide. These internal efforts directly empower the private sector to make informed decisions and take actions that deliver tangible value for biodiversity.

The datasets available through IBAT are used for early risk screening, setting goals and measuring progress towards global biodiversity targets such as those in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. They support businesses in understanding the impact of their activities on the natural world, in assessing these impacts, as well as dependencies and risks, and in aligning with regulatory and disclosure requirements. 

IBAT was developed and is maintained by the IBAT Alliance, a coalition of four of the world’s most influential conservation organisations: BirdLife International, Conservation International (CI), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 

This unprecedented level of investment from IBAT has enabled us to update, expand and improve critical, science-backed biodiversity data that supports policies and decisions for people and nature.

For example, our team identified over 600 new Key Biodiversity Areas in 2024, with a particular focus on South America and Africa. The countries in these regions are among the most biodiverse in the world but have typically been underrepresented. Capturing the new data will ensure that their unique landscapes and wildlife – and the local communities that depend upon them – are given due recognition and consideration in policies and planning.

IBAT funding for the IUCN Red List has also enabled us to assess 4,742 bird species (42% of the world’s birds) for the IUCN Red List over the last year, from the Philippine Eagle to the Eurasian Thick-knee. The categorisation used in Red List data helps inform conservation efforts, with real results. Red List data are also being used to benefit human health and enable scientists to better understand the distribution of medicinal plants and of animal species that may be vectors for zoonotic diseases.

This work will continue into 2025 and beyond, building a more complete picture of biodiversity and the natural world as a foundation for action. 

“The fantastic embrace of IBAT in the past year has allowed us to make vital improvements to functionality and user experience within the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas. This will make it even easier for businesses to make informed decisions about their operations for the benefit of nature. It will also allow us to keep growing the network of KBAs which underpin global commitments to protect 30 per cent of land, freshwater and sea by 2030.”

Martin Harper, CEO of BirdLife International

“IBAT support is helping to support the World Database of KBAs to be the largest database of globally significant sites for biodiversity, and for the first time we have been able to directly fund KBA National Coordination Groups in countries to identify their KBAs with this funding.”

Andrew Plumptre, Head of the KBA Secretariat