Global Ecosystems Atlas
What is the Global Ecosystems Atlas?
The GEO-convened Global Ecosystems Atlas is a collaborative effort with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat and partners to build the world's most comprehensive, standardised, shared resource on the distribution, condition and change of all ecosystems.
At its heart is the Global Ecosystems Atlas synthesis map, which shows the extent of the world's ecosystems. A beta version will soon be available on the web app. The map is growing fast, with a large volume of new data in the pipeline for a more comprehensive global release at the end of 2026.
The Global Ecosystems Atlas is as much a convening process as a product. It brings together countries, scientists, data providers and partners around shared methods and a common typology (the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology), and offers governments two forms of support: Where national ecosystem maps don't exist yet, it provides usable data for national reporting, spatial planning and decision-making. Where countries want to map their own ecosystems, it offers methods, tools and technical support.
This brings coherence to ecosystem-based work under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and beyond. With a consistent, trusted picture of ecosystems, countries can track progress against shared targets, report more easily across conventions and connect national efforts to a global overview.
The Global Ecosystems Atlas will also be a foundation for private sector action. As businesses face growing expectations around nature-related risk, disclosure and reporting, ecosystem data helps them understand where their operations and supply chains sit, as well as the ecosystems they depend on and affect.
Why is COP17 important for ecosystems?
The Global Review at COP17 has shown that many countries still lack the ecosystem maps needed to plan, report on and act on their Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework commitments. Goal A (integrity, connectivity and resilience of ecosystems) and the Framework's ecosystem-related targets can't be implemented, tracked or verified without this foundational data.
The Global Ecosystems Atlas exists to close that gap. Two years on from Cali, COP17 is where that case gets made to the governments that need it.
Useful links
Contact: mcrook@geosec.org