Highlights and images for 10 October 2025

Nature is everyone’s business! Conservation of nature, therefore, requires the engagement of diverse voices—from those on the frontlines of nature’s decline, such as Indigenous Peoples and local communities, women, and youth, to those with the capacity to contribute financial resources and technological capabilities.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress continued to platform these voices across its Forums, Exhibitions, and Summits. By embracing a widening circle of stakeholders, the Congress is reinforcing the urgency of collective action.

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

High-level Dialogues

The Dialogue, Nature is Everyone’s Business, marked the opening of the IUCN Congress Business Summit, held in parallel to the Forum sessions. Speakers focused on the mobilization of financial resources for biodiversity and nature resilience. They underscored that businesses depend on healthy ecosystems and stressed that investing in nature safeguards their ventures.

The Dialogue, Safeguarding Life, brought together leaders from different areas of conservation policy and emphasized the role of Indigenous rights and knowledge in biodiversity conservation. It also underscored the responsibility of the mining sector and the importance of holistic thinking to address environmental challenges. Participants reflected on the current backlash against environmental policies in both the private and public spheres.

A Tribute to Jane Goodall gathered the conservation community to commemorate the life and legacy of the pioneering primatologist. As many speakers pointed out, Goodall’s groundbreaking studies of chimpanzees and advocacy for conserving their habitats shaped our understanding of the links between habitats and species’ survival. Grounded in her later focus on mentorship, many lauded the global Roots & Shoots movement, which continues to carry forward Goodall’s vision of living in nature, not apart from it.

In the evening, at a high-level event, delegates launched the updated IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions, a revised and improved version of one of the Union's flagship knowledge products. Angela Andrade, Chair of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, outlined the various innovations, among them: improved clarity and utility, including an improved self-assessment tool; stronger emphasis on rights and equity; and a new governance structure. In a panel discussion, speakers drew attention to the place of nature-based solutions in other processes, such as the Convention on Wetlands and the Convention on Biological Diversity, and explored ways to involve the private sector in implementing the updated Global Standard.

Selected Thematic Sessions

A session on Scaling Up Resilient Conservation and Protected Areas in Arid and Hyper-Arid Regions convened around a structured debate, where participants argued for or against different motions. These motions included whether: quantitative targets outweigh ecological function or governance for long-term impact; restoration depends more on species reintroductions and protection or on functioning ecosystems and community engagement; and protected areas will endure if they are not aligned with development priorities and integrated into national planning processes.

During a World Café session on Achieving Conservation and Socio-economic Benefits from Managing Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in Freshwater Ecosystems, participants discussed effective measures of IAS management for both biodiversity and human well-being. Experts facilitated discussions on, among others, the need to engage Indigenous Peoples and integrate traditional knowledge, strengthening national strategies and legislation, and ensuring bottom-up, community-driven approaches.