Overwhelming evidence galvanizes a global consensus on the need for action against Invasive Alien Species

Abstract

On 4 September 2023, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) released the most comprehensive global synthesis of the current knowledge on the biological invasion process and the impacts of invasive alien species, i.e., the Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control (hereafter IPBES-IAS assessment, IPBES 2023a). This assessment includes data and knowledge from existing databases, peer-reviewed and gray literature, and knowledge from Indigenous Peoples and local communities to gain a global perspective on biological invasions across regions, ecosystems, and taxa (Figs. 1, 2). Here we place the IPBES-IAS assessment in the continuum of invasion science and policy history, describe the assessment process, and discuss the results.