The UK has opened the twelfth session of the Intergovernmental Science‑Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES‑12) in Manchester, bringing almost a thousand delegates together from around the world between 3 and 8 February 2026. This year’s agenda centres on business–nature interactions and the proposed Business and Biodiversity Assessment. (gov.uk)
IPBES assessments carry intergovernmental status. Governments approve the Summary for Policymakers line by line in plenary, while accepting the underlying chapters-an approach designed to combine scientific authority with negotiated policy relevance. Decisions taken at Manchester will therefore set a reference point for public authorities and markets alike. (stockholmresilience.org)
The Business and Biodiversity Assessment reflects three years of work by roughly 80 experts from 35 countries and is slated for approval during the session, with a public launch signalled for 9 February. The report is expected to present methods and options for companies and financial institutions to identify dependencies and impacts on nature and to act on them. (research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu)
Opening the meeting, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds relayed a message from the King on the shared crises of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution. The government confirmed participation by Ruth Davis, the UK Special Representative for Nature, and Mary Creagh, Minister for Nature, underlining the UK’s diplomatic push to deepen business engagement with nature. (gov.uk)
Alongside negotiations, officials point to practical economic benefits and mobilisation of finance. Hosting IPBES‑12 is expected to add about £3.1 million to the local economy, while a Business and Finance Day in Manchester on 4 February will convene firms, investors and scientists to showcase and accelerate nature‑positive action. (gov.uk)
For corporate reporting teams, the policy anchor is Target 15 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It calls on governments to ensure large and transnational companies and financial institutions monitor, assess and disclose their biodiversity‑related dependencies, impacts and risks. The UK’s Green Finance Strategy reiterates this direction of travel. (cbd.int)
Disclosure standards are moving in step. In December 2025 the International Sustainability Standards Board advanced its biodiversity project from research to standard‑setting and signalled an exposure draft of nature‑related requirements drawing on the Taskforce on Nature‑related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). TNFD reports more than 730 organisational adopters, representing about US$22 trillion in assets under management. (ifrs.org)
UK regulators are preparing to align. On 30 January 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority opened consultation CP26/5 to replace existing climate‑only listing rules with reporting against the forthcoming UK Sustainability Reporting Standards endorsing ISSB requirements, aiming for a policy statement in autumn 2026 and rules applying from 1 January 2027. (fca.org.uk)
If adopted this week, the IPBES assessment will provide a government‑endorsed scientific baseline for nature‑related reporting and risk oversight. Companies planning TNFD‑aligned disclosures or preparing for future ISSB requirements should expect greater emphasis on location‑specific data, value‑chain mapping and board‑level governance using the TNFD LEAP approach. (ict.ipbes.net)
The plenary runs through Saturday 8 February, with the Business and Biodiversity Assessment expected to be launched publicly on 9 February. Outcomes agreed in Manchester will feed into disclosure frameworks and regulatory decisions due later in 2026. (genevaenvironmentnetwork.org)