Remarks from Japan Environment Minister Ishihara

“I welcome the convening of the 2nd Global Nature Positive Summit 2026 here in Kumamoto, Japan. Kumamoto, blessed with abundant water resources, diverse ecosystems, and the Aso-Kuju National Park, is a symbolic region where people live in harmony with nature. It is highly meaningful that active discussions will take place in this location as we reflect on the value of nature and its future.

Across the world, human activities are putting an unprecedented number of species at risk of extinction. Halting and reversing the loss of biodiversity is essential to maintain the benefits we receive from nature, the very foundation of our society and livelihoods, and ultimately, human well-being.

The international community has set a shared goal of achieving a “nature positive” world—halting and reversing nature loss by 2030. Many economic activities depend on natural capital, and corporate awareness of nature positive initiatives continues to grow. Japan now has the world’s largest number of TNFD adopters. The Ministry of the Environment has formulated the Transition Strategy Toward Nature Positive Economy, supporting corporate efforts while also advancing conservation of local ecosystems.

In 2010, Japan hosted the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10), contributing to the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol and the Aichi Targets.

This year marks the first time in 16 years since COP10 that an international conference on biodiversity is being held in Japan, and I feel a deep sense of emotion and anticipation. As with COP10, I hope this conference will serve as a catalyst for accelerating international efforts toward achieving a nature positive world.”

~ Hirotaka Ishihara, Environment Minister of Japan

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