A new study by Elena Michele Bennett, Walter Reid, and colleagues invites a rethink of how global environmental assessments can better support action in a changing world.

Reports such as those produced by the IPCC and IPBES play a vital role in bringing knowledge together. But as climate, biodiversity, and social challenges become more entangled, assessments are increasingly being asked to do more than summarize evidence. They also need to help people work with uncertainty, disagreement, trade-offs, and the different realities faced by actors working across scales.

The article reflects on what the next generation of assessments might need to become: not only major reports, but more living processes that support learning, dialogue, and decision-making over time. This includes asking how assessments can better serve local communities, policymakers, civil society, businesses, and others working to shape more just and liveable futures.

The piece may be of interest to those working at the intersections of knowledge, governance, science-policy practice, and sustainability transformations.