Ten policies for pollinators

Earlier this year, the first global thematic assessment from the Intergovernmental Sci-ence-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) evaluated the state of knowledge about pollinators and pollination (1,2). It confirmed evidence of large-scale wild pollinator declines in North West Europe and North America, and iden-tified data shortfalls and an urgent need for monitoring elsewhere in the world. With high level political commitments to support pollinators in the US (3), the UK (4) and France (5), encouragement from the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) scientific advice body (6), and the issue on the agenda for next month’s Conference of the Parties of the CBD, we see a chance for global-scale policy change. We extend beyond the IPBES report, which we helped to write, and suggest 10 policies that governments should seriously consider, to protect pollinators and secure pollination services. Our suggestions are not the only available responses, but those we consider most likely to succeed, due to synergy with international policy objectives and strategies, or formulation of international policy creating opportunity for change. We make these suggestions as independent scientists, not on behalf of IPBES.