Published almost halfway through the 2011—2020 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, this fourth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO4) provides a timely report on progress in achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the actions needed to accelerate such progress, on the prospects for achieving the 2050 vision of “Living in Harmony with Nature”, and on the importance of biodiversity in achieving the overall goals for sustainable human development in Course of present century.