Cross-ecosystem understanding of causes, mechanisms and consequences of insect decline will inform predictive and empirical mitigation practices. These insights will be of value to policy-making in the public and private sectors but also wider society. We will transfer this knowledge outside of the scientific community through delivery of high quality non-academic activities including:
Task 5.1: Summary for Policy-makers (SPM). Building on our experience with the IPBES process (see Previous Track Record), we will produce a high-level synthesis SPM document. This SPM will provide a policy-relevant overview of the knowledge gained during GLiTRS, written in a way to shape national strategies for insects (e.g. National Pollinator Strategy). We will publicise the SPM through a launch event aimed at public and private bodies in the UK (including industry and NGOs) and international organisations such as EC Joint Research Centre, GEO BON, IUCN and IPBES.
Task 5.2: Impact Record Cards. For four of the major anthropogenic pressures, we have produced Impact Record Cards providing an easily digestible summary of the evidence relating to insect decline (including interactions with other pressures) and prospects under future scenarios. The Impact Report Cards highlight the risks to natural capital and associated ecosystem services and describe mitigation measures and likely associated costs of these approaches at national, regional and global scales. We have made them available online and will disseminate to key stakeholders (e.g. NGOs), providing opportunities for feedback and engagement. Read them here: https://glitrs.ceh.ac.uk/impact-record-cards
Task 5.3: Online visualisations. The importance of insects is generally recognised by wider society but we will extend engagement by developing innovative virtual tools enabling users (e.g. schools, the general public) to interact and explore the effects of mitigation measures on simulated insect populations and networks. We will provide insights that are relevant to health and well-being to ensure societal interest. We will promote these tools through social media but also through existing education and outreach programmes of learned societies (e.g. Royal Entomological Society) and the media.