Current global socio-environmental changes challenge human societies and give rise to new adaptation needs also for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). Based on participatory workshops with Sámi and Finn reindeer herders we examined adaptation challenges for reindeer herding in a situation characterized by complex, intertwined and unpredictable risks framed as polycrisis. We found that increasing the possibilitie...

Natural ecosystems face significant pressure from climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing socio-economic and political stressors—all of which are exacerbated by military conflict. This paper focuses on Ukraine and examines the root causes of disturbances in the country’s forest socio-ecological systems (SES), as well as the impacts of the ongoing war, to identify recovery pathways. Using a multi-method approach, we a...

Science–policy interfaces (SPI), such as IPCC and IPBES, are key mechanisms by which scientists can contribute to policy making to tackle socio-environmental problems. To capture recent and ongoing developments, we examine the evolution of global and European SPI landscapes in the biodiversity domain grounding a novel concept of “transformative science–policy interfacing”, which is a collective effort to enable fundamental soc...

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are considered as means to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss while simultaneously enhancing human well-being. Yet, it is still poorly understood how NBS could be mainstreamed. We address this gap by proposing a framework on NBS and employing it in Finland’s Kiiminkijoki River basin through participatory workshops and a questionnaire. We examine socio-environmental challenges and visions,...

With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, UN Member States pledge “to leave no one behind” and “endeavour to reach the furthest behind first”. The EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) was designed to meet these policy objectives. It is one of three pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism, aiming at fair delivery of the European Green Deal and reducing adverse social and economic impacts of the transition towards a climate-neutral Europe...

The subarctic Teno River is one of the most significant spawning rivers for Atlantic salmon in Europe. In 2009, research indicated that the Teno salmon stock was in a weak state, and concern about the future of Atlantic salmon in the Teno River arose on both sides of the river, in Finland and Norway. In 2017, the governments ratified the new Teno fishing agreement (Teno Fishing Act 2017). The agreement aimed to reduce the fish...

Fisheries management aims to ensure that the fishing activities are environmentally sustainable in the long term, while also achieving the economic, social and food security related management objectives. To facilitate this, both the ecological and human dimensions of sustainability need to be included in fisheries assessment. In addition, assessing long‐term sustainability calls for taking into account plausible changes in th...

Article impact statement : Social equity can be enhanced in IPBES work to promote its positive impacts on conservation and local people.