Fifty years ago, the UN Conference on the Human Environment resulted in the Stockholm Declaration, and the dialogue on the linkages between humans, economic growth, and the resultant impact on the environment began. Fifty years later, this dialogue continues. The triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, makes action on these issues ever more urgent, with the need for policymakers, scientists, and the business community to work together to address them ever more important.

Convening under the theme “Next 50 Years: Reimagining Multilateralism and Pathways for a Nature Positive World,” the fourth Global Session of the Regional Session of the UN-Science-Policy-Business Forum (UN-SPBF 2022) will take stock of our efforts over the intervening 50 years and assess how we can move from living in a nature positive world as being our greatest challenge towards it being our greatest opportunity. The sessions look at how to move the needle over the next 50 years, including through innovation, incentives, and regulatory frameworks.

Over the course of UN-SPBF 2022, participants will take part in multiple high-level events that identify and explore the transformative actions required to put the world on track to meet the multilateral environmental goals. Sessions include:

• A vision-setting session presented by Johan Rockstrom, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;
• Reimagining Multilateralism and Bridging the Implementation Gap;
• From Corporate Responsibility to Creating Impact;
• The Future of Energy; and
• A high-level leadership dialogue, “Stockholm+100: Future Vision.

The fourth Global Session of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment (UN-SPBF 2022) is convening in support of the Stockholm+50 Conference from 31 May – 1 June 2022. A high-level leadership dialogue “Stockholm+100: Future Vision” will conclude UN-SPBF’s proceedings. Two high-level side events, “Transformers 1: The Stokholm+100 Journey Starts Now - Trailblazing Nature-Positive Sector Transitions to Save the World” and “Transformers 2: The Stokholm+100 Journey Starts Now -Breaking Barriers,” will take place on 2 and 3 June, respectively. Additionally, a Concert for Peace and the Planet will take place on 1 June. The Stockholm Marathon, being held in partnership with the UN-SPBF, will take place on 4 June.

The UN-SPBF was launched at the third session of the UN Environment Assembly in December 2017. The framework was designed to strengthen the interface between science, policy, business, and society. It convenes in conjunction with, and feeds into, the UNEA process.