UN Biodiversity Lab 2.0 launches at Nature for Life Hub

The UN Biodiversity Lab (UNBL) 2.0 was launched on Monday, October 4th the 1st day of the Nature for Life Hub, a virtual hub featuring activists, influencers, leaders, and businesses that takes audiences on deep dives into specialist topics, practical solutions and ambitious actions that are paving a path towards a nature-positive future. The UNBL 2.0 is a free, open-source platform that enables governments and others to access state-of-the-art maps and data on nature, climate change, and human development in new ways to generate insight for nature and sustainable development. It is freely available online to governments and other stakeholders as a digital public good.Developed jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), and the Secretariat of the UN Biodiversity Convention, the launch highlighted strong partnerships, and included an announcement from Microsoft of its commitment to support the digital ecosystem of UNBL with their Planetary Computer and custom analytics as digital public goods.

The UNBL 2.0 release responds to a known global gap in the types of spatial data and tools, providing an invaluable resource to nations around the world to take transformative action. Users can now access over 400 of the world’s best available global spatial data layers; create secure workspaces to incorporate national data alongside global data; use curated data collections to generate insight for action; and more. One layer of the UNBL 2.0 includes One Earth's Global Safety Net, the first global-scale analysis of land areas requiring protection to solve the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, upholding and strengthening Indigenous land rights. Watch the video to learn more about the Global Safety Net. 

Without requiring specialized tools or training, decision-makers can use this platform to leverage the power of spatial data to support priority-setting and the implementation of nature- based solutions. Dynamic metrics and indicators on the state of our planet are also available.

UNBL was first launched in 2018 to support governments in their commitments to the UN Biodiversity Convention, leading to a two-fold increase in the number of maps used in countries’ national reports on the state of biodiversity. UNBL 2.0 is now available in English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. The redesign offers modern web app design and enhanced functionalities based on user feedback, including more data, enhanced analytic capabilities, and analyses that support action at the national level.