Highlights and images for 9 October 2025

The world is at a decisive moment, with only five years left to achieve global climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development goals. The 2025 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress (WCC) seeks to spark the determination needed to deliver a lasting victory for nature and people in the race to the 2030 finish line.

The opening day of the IUCN WCC in Abu Dhabi set a powerful tone of unity, urgency, and hope. Delegates from around the world gathered under the theme “Revitalizing global governance for nature and people,” which reverberated throughout the opening ceremony in performances, keynote addresses, and a high-level dialogue.

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

Congress Opening

The opening ceremony was attended by dignitaries and graced by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In opening remarks, Surangel Whipps Jr., President of Palau, introduced the Palauan concept of “bul,” a traditional pause to allow nature to renew, stressing its relevance in today’s volatile environmental context.

Princess Lalla Hasnaa of Morocco highlighted efforts to integrate conservation into national policy and emphasized youth leadership in ensuring artificial intelligence is used equitably to solve environmental challenges.

Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE, described environmental protection as an “ethical commitment.” She pointed to the UAE’s 49 protected areas and outlined her country’s ambition to serve as a global hub for sustainability.

IUCN President Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak reminded participants that multilateralism is under strain but that new forms of cooperation are emerging, driven by a recognition that people and nature are inseparable. She called on delegates to use the WCC as an opportunity to transform understanding into action, stressing that the world is watching as the clock ticks toward the 2030 targets.

Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General, described the Union as an “unstoppable force for change.” IUCN Patron of Nature Sylvia Earle paid tribute to the late Jane Goodall. She warned that “the decisions made in the next five years will be terminal” and encouraged finding hope in the power of the human spirit and in nature’s resilience.

In a video message, Prince William of the UK emphasized that protecting nature is a collective responsibility. Emirati youth poet Sarah Al Mheiri recited a poem on the interconnectedness of humanity and the natural world.

Thematic Plenaries

The shaping resilience, scaling impact plenary explored practical ways to scale conservation efforts globally. Speakers highlighted the need for long-term funding, strategic design, and enabling conditions. They also reflected on effective approaches, such as linking production with protection, investing in people, and cultural shifts.

The plenary on everything, everywhere, all at once, addressed the risks of climate overshoot, which requires urgent, coordinated action and just solutions to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Panelists highlighted key strategies, including rapid fossil fuel phase-out, Indigenous-led conservation, and enhanced adaptation financing. They also underscored the role of debt relief to support developing countries.

During the plenary on driving equity, rethinking inclusive conservation, participants focused on ways to ensure inclusive decision-making in conservation through, among others, multistakeholder engagement and rights-based approaches. The session highlighted the need to close the biodiversity financing gap and invest in local, regional, and Indigenous-led solutions to ensure lasting, equitable conservation outcomes.

The plenary on nature-positive future: turning pledges into investments centered on the role of targeted investments in natural assets, such as ecotourism, to generate benefits for local communities. The need for innovative financing, such as blended finance and scalable investment models, emerged as common ground.

The inclusive innovation and bold leadership plenary underscored approaches for disruptive innovation and leadership for conservation through, among others, bottom-up approaches, public-private partnerships, community-led initiatives, and support for underfunded innovators.

The day concluded with an official welcome reception hosted by UAE.