CITES CoP20
The saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) once roamed across Europe and North America alongside mammoths and saber-toothed cats. Once numbering in the millions, by the mid-2010s, the saiga population crashed by 95% in just 15 years.
Biodiversity
Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is most often associated with the earth’s vast variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms, but the term encompasses diversity at all levels—from genes to species to ecosystems to landscapes. Scientists estimate there are approximately 8.7 million species globally, of which approximately 2.2 million are marine. In spite of 250 years of research and over 1.2 million species already identified, it is possible 86% of existing species on Earth and 91% of species in the ocean still await description.
In each ecosystem, including those that occur within or among forests, wetlands, mountains, deserts, and rivers, living creatures interact with each other as well as with the air, water, and soil around them, forming an interconnected community. The ecosystem services provided by biodiversity are estimated to be worth trillions of dollars—double the world’s GDP. Biodiversity also includes genetic differences within species, such as different breeds and varieties, as well as chromosomes, genes, and genetic sequences (DNA). Biodiversity also has human benefits. For example, many new medicines are harvested from nature, such as the rosy periwinkle, which provides two very important cancer-fighting medicines.
Events and Articles
Showing 11 - 20 of 435 results
27th Session of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 27) and 1st Session of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Other Provisions Related to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (SB8j 1)
Both subsidiary bodies demonstrated support for biodiversity-related policies and governance rooted in diverse experiences to deliver comprehensive outcomes for people and planet, but negotiations were challenging, with many expressing concerns and calling for a spirit of compromise and solidarity going forward.
IUCN Business Summit
Business leaders from around the planet discussed their critical role in transitioning toward nature-positive economies and societies to help advance global conservation goals.
2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress
At the world's largest conservation gathering, IUCN Assembly Members adopted close to 150 motions to pursue policy directions in diverse areas, a new 20-year Strategic Vision for IUCN, and new quadrennial IUCN Programme 2026-2029 to lead and influence the global environmental agenda.
World Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nature
Discussions during the historic Summit revealed the enormous contributions to conservation by Indigenous Peoples and emphasized that Indigenous priorities need to shape national plans and international frameworks.
IUCN Global Youth Summit
The IUCN Global Youth Summit served as a platform to initiate critical discussions on how to shape youth-centered outcomes for conserving nature and set the scene for the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025.
5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves
Delegates underlined their main success of the last decade: enhancing the quality of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, a catalogue of internationally designated protected areas that act as “living laboratories” for testing novel approaches to advance biodiversity and development agenda. They also highlighted that future work must focus on scaling up impact.
69th Meeting of the GEF Council
Through the “family” of GEF trust funds, Council Members approved over USD 250 million in funding for projects and programs targeting biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, chemicals and waste, and shared marine and freshwater ecosystems issues. Talks occurred in the shadow of recently commenced negotiations for the GEF’s ninth replenishment period, which many expect will be challenging due to shifting geopolitics and donor priorities.
6th Global Climate and SDG Synergies Conference
The Sixth Global Conference on Climate and SDG Synergies sought to feed into the upcoming third round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, where countries express their climate action plans for achieving the goals of the Agreement.
Earthna Summit 2025
The potential of combining “high-tech with no-tech” to achieve climate and sustainability objectives and improving the livability of cities in hot and arid regions was the focus of discussions during the two-day Earthna Summit in Doha.