GBIF after 25 years

What this was about

Joe Miller explained how the GBIF Secretariat approaches sustainability: stable GDP-based national contributions from about 40 member countries, leveraged with European Commission grants, foundations and special funds so the budget has doubled in five years. He described DOI-based citation tracking showing data reuse in science and policy, and how about a quarter of the budget flows back out through BID and CESP programmes. He emphasised aligning with policy and funding mechanisms such as the CBD, GEF 9 and the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, and previewed a pilot indexing South African data with the national taxonomy.

Why it matters. It offers a concrete, working model of how a global biodiversity infrastructure demonstrates value and secures long-term funding, including the policy links now being built with CBD and GEF.

In the room

• GBIF is an intergovernmental organisation in its 25th year, with around 40 member countries paying annually.
• DOIs on downloads allow tracking of data use; about eight peer-reviewed publications per day use GBIF-mediated data.
• 31 of 32 key messages of the 2023 IPBES invasive alien species assessment drew on literature using GBIF-mediated data.
• Contributions are GDP-based under a five-year MoU; leveraging this stability, the overall budget has doubled, giving roughly two euros of work programme per euro contributed.
• About 25% of the budget goes out to BID, CESP projects and contractors around the world.
• GBIF is working with the CBD, GEF, World Bank and UNDP; the CBD Executive Secretary encouraged all parties to join GBIF.
• Two thirds of seventh national reports to the CBD mention GBIF, but there are disconnects between national focal points.

Notable moments