Authors: Kelemen, Eszter;

The IPBES Global Assessment (GA) (IPBES, 2019) called for transformative actions to halt the loss of biodiversity which, at its current unprecedented pace, is threatening with the disruption of the social-ecological systems we are living in. The GA also highlighted that the indirect drivers of change (such as population growth, unsustainable production and consumption patterns, technology development or governance deficiencies and conflicts) are underpinned by the worldviews andvalues society holds. The scientific interest in values and valuation and its relationship to governance and policymaking is growing rapidly, leading to the recognition that acknowledging diverse values in decision-making is the prerequisite to effectively support and manage system-wide transformations towards a more sustainable future, but at the same time needs substantial changes in our existing governance systems (Visseren-Hamakers et al. 2021). The recent IPBES Assessment onValues and Valuation, getting discussed at the IPBES Plenary 9 in July 2022, digs deep into the theory and practice of the valuation of nature and its contributions to people, and provides guidance to the scientific community, as well as to decision-makers in different sectors and scales, on how to operationalize the values of nature in decision-making. This plenary presentation will share some of the key insights of the Values Assessment, especially how the values of nature can beconceptualized, how it is possible to assess the diversity of values, and what options and opportunities are available for decision-makers to act upon the diverse values of nature.