Mather Road

Highlights Our 15th annual horizon scan identified 15 emerging issues of concern for global biodiversity conservation. A panel of 31 scientists and practitioners submitted a total of 96 topics that were ranked using a Delphi-style technique according to novelty and likelihood of impact on biodiversity conservation. The top 37 issues were discussed in person and online in September 2023 during which the issues were ranked according to the same criteria.

Horizon scanning methods The process for this horizon scan (Figure I) commenced in March 2022 when we invited 30 scientists, practitioners, and policy makers to canvass their networks and colleagues in person and via email, social media platforms, virtual conferences, and networking events and then submit two to five issues that they considered novel, largely unknown, and likely to impact conservation of biological diversity during the next 5–10 years.