The Nature Positive flag flew high at IUCN Congress

Learn more in the summary video!

Here are our top five highlights…

1. A thriving Nature Positive Pavilion

There was record support at the vivid Nature Positive Pavilion, in the centre of the Congress exhibition space. We saw over 900 participants across 25 sessions with more than 100 speakers. Sessions and topics ranged from species conservation, environmental law and the power of community-led initiatives, to innovation, landscape outcomes, the prospects for nature action at COP30 in Brazil, and more.

We are grateful to Nature Positive Initiative members, and especially our partners and sponsors who made the Nature Positive Pavilion possible – special thanks to African Parks, Go Nature Positive!, Google Earth, IUCN, WBCSD and WWF International.

2. Business presence formalized at IUCN Congress for the first time

For the first time ever, the IUCN Congress hosted a Business Summit, supported by Nature Positive Initiative and Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures – putting business at the heart of nature discussions.

A rich suite of business-related talks and sessions were well attended, from the Chief Sustainability Officer Roundtable and metrics piloting to a special fireside chat between Grethel Aguilar, Director General of IUCN, André Hoffmann, Vice-Chairman of Roche and Marco Lambertini, Convener of the Nature Positive Initiative, on why business should prioritize nature positive in their operations and strategies.

There was a lively buzz around planning for the upcoming Global Nature Positive Summit to take place in Japan in July 2026, which will see strong private sector participation. Nature is clearly rising ever higher on business agendas!

3. Progress for metrics and frameworks

The process to build consensus around a single aligned set of state of nature metrics continued at the IUCN WCC with well-attended sessions in the Nature Positive Pavilion on progress so far with piloting the terrestrial state of nature metrics, a learning session in partnership with IBAT and a session providing open dialogue on nature positive statements and claims.

Over 30 companies have been participating in the pilot of the metrics since May, wrapping up and providing feedback by the end of October. Letícia Guimarães, Biodiversity Lead at Vale shared reflections from their experience on a pilot project in Carajás, Pará state, Brazil. Other speakers highlighted the role the Nature Positive State of Nature Metrics will play in existing frameworks, and the wider need for an aligned approach to gauging whether nature is increasing or declining.

Next, the Nature Positive Initiative presented the process to build consensus around nature positive and net positive outcomes and claims. Many are looking to demonstrate their progress towards the global nature positive goal, but we need a consistent and credible way to measure this. Rachel Martin, Technical Manager for the Nature Positive Initiative Secretariat (and Oxford University) moderated an involved conversation with participation from Nature Positive Initiative members and companies and organizations for whom this will be an important step towards greater action. A public survey is now open to collect further feedback – please click here.

4. Motions passed for nature positive action

This year’s Congress discussed and voted on five Motions relevant to Nature Positive, illustrating how to put into practice this ambitious global goal  – all aligned with the official definition of Nature Positive and calling for private sector engagement through nature positive strategies and metrics. Two Motions in particular focused on mobilizing business to contribute to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with IUCN member governments and non-state actors voting strongly for their support.

Motions 073 embraced the definition of Nature Positive to “..halt and reverse nature loss by 2030 on a 2020 baseline, and achieve full recovery by 2050” and supported the efforts of the Nature Positive Initiative. The Motion called on IUCN members to collaborate with companies to set targets for and rapidly deliver and publicly report high-integrity actions to reduce pressures on biodiversity and contributions to achieving nature positive goals, while noting the important role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and their Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC). It also noted the voluntary frameworks available for this including Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Science-based Targets Network (SBTN) as well as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive for regulated disclosure.

Motion 085 similarly supported Nature Positive as a global goal focusing on the role of the private sector in achieving a nature-positive world. It specifically called on the sector to embrace double-materiality through better assessing, reporting and managing nature-related impacts and dependencies, including through relevant regulatory and/or voluntary standards, frameworks and metrics (noting SBTN, TNFD, GRI and the Nature Positive Initiative’s consensus state of nature metrics).’

Motion 002 –  Accelerating action for nature-positive, sustainable agriculture and food systems, Motion 038 – Harnessing IUCN’s power: Driving synergy for a net zero, nature positive and just energy transition and Motion 079 – Regulating financing mechanisms based on biodiversity certificates and credits and guarantee positive effects on nature –  all made reference to Nature Positive as well.

5. Trailer for Becoming Nature Positive was shared publicly and launched online

The trailer for Becoming Nature Positive, a unique and urgent film created by the Nature Positive Initiative and co-produced with Open Planet Studios, was released at the IUCN Congress. Featuring top voices from across the global sustainability community, inspired by the recent book of the same name, this new film will offer a fresh take on the nature positive agenda.

Reactions to the trailer at Congress were extremely positive, with growing anticipation building for the release of the full 30-minute film in early 2026. Stay tuned for more.

Please share our social media posts (LinkedIn, BlueSky, X) and help spread the word among your networks!

WATCH the TRAILER