1st Early-bird discount available until March 31
Save the Date: July 14–16, 2026, Kumamoto, Japan
Set Sail Together: Be Part of the Nature-Positive Journey
The 2030 deadline to halt and reverse nature loss is fast approaching.
The Summit will showcase bold examples from around the world, charting a path toward a nature-positive future in business, finance, and governance.
Hosted in Japan — a country with a deep connection to nature
— the second Global Nature Positive Summit in Kumamoto invites us all to join this journey toward a safer, more equitable, and thriving world.
Opening Address from 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 2 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.
Main Speakers
We will be updating continuously going forward.
Kazufumi Onishi
Mayor of Kumamoto City
Representative (TBC)
Ministry of the Environment
Kaori Fujita
Professor, Green Goals Initiative and Graduate School of Life Sciences,
Tohoku University
Shinichiro Funabiki
Representative Director, President & CEO,
MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.
Naoko Ishii
Special Presidential Envoy for Global Commons,
The University of Tokyo
Hiroyuki Isono
President & CEO
Oji Holdings
Junro Ito
Representative Director & Executive Chair
Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd.
Shinji Matsuoka
Chief Sustainability Officer, Managing Executive Officer
Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd.
Toshiro Mitsuyoshi
President and Representative Director
Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.
Mika Nabeshima
Managing Executive Officer
Group Chief Sustainability Officer
Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.
Yuji Saito
Representative Director, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.
Kayoko Sakai
Chief Human Resource Officer & Chief Culture Officer, Managing Executive Officer
Sompo Japan Insurance Inc.
Yukiko Sakai
Executive Officer and Group Chief Sustainability Officer
Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc.
Masayuki Takanashi
Group Chief Sustainability Officer(CSuO)
SUMITOMO MITSUI FINANCIAL GROUP
N. Chandrababu Naidu
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Astrid Schomaker
Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Peter Thomson
United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean
Paul Polman
Business Leader, Investor, and Philanthropist
Grethel Aguilar
Director General, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Yana Gevorgyan
Convener and Director, Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Secretariat
Romie Goedicke den Hertog
Head of Nature Impact, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)
Tony Goldner
Chief Executive Officer, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)
Mark Gough
Chief Executive Officer, Capitals Coalition
Marco Lambertini
Convener and Executive Chair,
Nature Positive Initiative (NPI)
Dorothy Maseke
Head, Africa Nature-based Solutions Alliance (ANCA) Secretariat
Satya Tripathi
Secretary-General, Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet (GASP)
Lee Howell
the Executive Director of the Villars Institute
Programme at a Glance
The Global Nature Positive Summit 2026 brings together leaders from business, finance, governments, science and civil society to accelerate action to halt and reverse nature loss.
Please see the draft program
Day1
Sets the scene for the Summit, focusing on what Nature Positive means and why it matters for economies and societies. Morning plenary sessions will explore the roles of business, finance and sub-national governments, highlighting leadership, responsibility and long-term vision. In the afternoon, discussions will move toward action, examining the business and social case for Nature Positive, credible strategies for delivery, and links with climate and circular economy agendas. Parallel thematic sessions and informal “Bento Sessions” will enable deeper exchange across sectors and themes.
Day2
Focuses on delivering Nature Positive outcomes at scale. Morning sessions will address key enablers, including measurement, credible communication and the role of technology. The afternoon will highlight place-based and systems approaches, from value chains to landscapes, jurisdictions and the ocean, before closing with a synthesis of key messages and next steps.
Beyond plenary sessions, the Summit features thematic parallel session, high-level closed meetings, side events, side program(exhibitions) and partner networking. A post-Summit landscape excursion on Day 3 will connect global discussions to real-world Nature Positive action in Kumamoto.
Objective
The Nature Positive Summit will focus on accelerating the efforts in implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which was agreed by 196 countries in 2022 with a commitment to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. As governments will be meeting in October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia,
at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP17 to review progress on their landmark agreement, the Nature Positive Summit aims at showcasing nature-positive strategies and outcomes with a particular focus on the contributions of the private sector and local governments to the GBF and its Nature Positive mission.
The Nature Positive Summit will focus on accelerating the efforts in implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which was agreed by 196 countries in 2022 with a commitment to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. As governments will be meeting in October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP17 to review progress on their landmark agreement, the Nature Positive Summit aims at showcasing nature-positive strategies and outcomes with a particular focus on the contributions of the private sector and local governments to the GBF and its Nature Positive mission.
About Summit
Dates
July 14 - 15,2026
(July 16 for excursion)
Hosting city
Kumamoto City, Japan
Official Language
English and Japanese
Organizer
Nature Positive Initiative(NPI)
Japan Committee for IUCN
ICLEI-Japan
Co-organizers
Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Summit Founding Partners Committee
Incooperation with
Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.
Supported by
Japan Conference for 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework
Japan Business Initiative for Biodiversity
KEIDANREN（Japan Business Federation）
Keidanren Nature Conservation Council
The Summit was announced by the Nature Positive Initiative, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Japan Committee, and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Japan, with the support of the Government of Japan, Kumamoto City, the Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J), Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), IUCN International, ICLEI International and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), with Nikkei Business Publications engaged as the summit manager.
Call for Official Side Events (For Japanese group)
The Global Nature Positive Summit (GNPS) will host Official Side Events as an integral part of the official summit programme.
These sessions provide a platform for Japanese NGOs, local governments, research institutions, youth groups and other non-profit actors to deepen discussions and foster collaboration on Nature Positive action and the implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
Official Side Events are selected through an open call and review process and are scheduled within official time slots and venues of the Summit.
They are designed to complement plenary and thematic sessions, translating high-level dialogue into concrete practices and partnerships, in line with the format of international COP-style conferences.
Call for Official Side Events (For Japanese group)
The Global Nature Positive Summit (GNPS) will host Official Side Events as an integral part of the official summit programme.
These sessions provide a platform for Japanese NGOs, local governments, research institutions, youth groups and other non-profit actors to deepen discussions and foster collaboration on Nature Positive action and the implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
Official Side Events are selected through an open call and review process and are scheduled within official time slots and venues of the Summit.
They are designed to complement plenary and thematic sessions, translating high-level dialogue into concrete practices and partnerships, in line with the format of international COP-style conferences.
Exhibition “NATURE TECH!”
In recent years, “NATURE TECH”—the use of advanced technologies such as satellite sensing, AI, IoT, blockchain, and renewable energy to tackle global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss—has been attracting growing attention. Through initiatives such as making natural capital visible, advancing conservation efforts, and increasing transparency in the flow of funds, momentum is building to accelerate companies’ sustainable management.
This event, “NATURE TECH!”, brings together practitioners from industry, government, academia, and civil society under the theme of “the use of technology and residencies to halt nature loss and drive regeneration,” serving as a forum for sharing the latest case studies and fostering collaboration.
Excursion Information (Preparation in Progress)
On Thursday, July 16, the day following the Summit, we will host a special excursion set in the rich natural and cultural landscapes of Kumamoto and Kyushu—carefully designed to align with the core themes and discussions of the Global Nature Positive Summit.
This excursion is conceived as an extension of the Summit itself. By visiting real places and engaging with local initiatives, participants will be able to experience firsthand how the ideas, commitments, and outcomes discussed during the Summit are reflected and implemented on the ground. It offers a rare opportunity to translate dialogue into lived understanding.
Several thematic courses will be offered, each closely connected to the Summit’s key agenda areas:
Nature – Experience the value of ecosystems through majestic mountains and lush landscapes
Satoyama – Learn from traditional landscapes that embody the coexistence of people and nature
River Basin – Explore how water connects ecosystems, communities, and local economies
ECO-DRR* – Gain insights into preparedness, adaptation, and living with natural risks
＊Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction
Our team is working to ensure that each program meaningfully links Summit discussions with place-based experience, highlighting what makes Kumamoto unique as a site of nature-positive action. Detailed information on each tour will be released around April.
Inquiries will be accepted once the detailed program information is published.
Information for Participants
Information for participants, including registration, venue access, visa, accommodation, and on-site check-in, is available here.
Japan Airlines (JAL) is the Official Airline of the GLOBAL NATURE POSITIVE SUMMIT 2026. We encourage you to consider flying with JAL when planning your trip to Japan.
About
Organizer
Nature Positive Initiative
The Nature Positive Initiative gathers some of the world’ s largest sustainable business and finance coalitions; standards, disclosure and targets frameworks; global conservation organizations; and science, subnational governance and Indigenous knowledge networks, to drive alignment around use of the term ‘nature positive’ and support broader, longer-term efforts to deliver nature-positive outcomes. The Nature Positive Initiative is reinforced by the Nature Positive Forum, a group of more than 300 organizations and institutions that have committed to uphold the definition of Nature Positive by 2030 and pursue action to secure a nature positive world. Those interested in joining can apply to the Forum here ‒ or subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated.
IUCN Japan Committee (IUCN-J)
The IUCN Japan Committee (IUCN-J) promotes the vision, knowledge, and global standards of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Japan. Working across government, local authorities, businesses, NGOs, and the research community, IUCN-J supports biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of nature, while fostering collaboration to advance nature-positive outcomes. At GNPS 2026, IUCN-J serves as a bridge between global dialogue and practical action in Japan as well as organizer for excursion program.
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (Japan)
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of local and regional governments committed to building sustainable, resilient, and nature-positive cities and regions. In Japan, ICLEI supports local governments in advancing biodiversity policies and place-based action, connecting local implementation with international frameworks and discussions. At GNPS 2026, ICLEI plays a key role in linking local action to global transformation.
The Story Behind the GNPS Logo
Discover the concept and meaning behind the GNPS logo, inspired by Kumamoto’s landscapes and the global Nature Positive vision.
【About Press】
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Information will follow soon for media interested in attending or reporting on the Global Nature Positive Summit. In the meantime, please subscribe to the Nature Positive Initiative newsletter and follow on LinkedIn, X or Bluesky.
About Kumamoto City
The venue of Global Nature Positive Summit 2026—Kumamoto City—is a "world-class groundwater city" with nature and urban functions coexisting in harmony. The pristine and abundant groundwater nurtured by Kumamoto’s natural environment—formed on the foundation of Mt. Aso’s volcanic activity, the connection between the upstream and downstream reaches of various rivers, and other diverse geographical features—supports the daily lives of 740,000 citizens. This groundwater also springs forth from Ezu Lake, located in the city center, providing an invaluable habitat for wildlife.
To carry forward the blessings of this biodiversity, Kumamoto City has long promoted cooperation at the landscape level stretching beyond administrative boundaries together with ten municipalities that share the same groundwater basin, along with citizens and businesses.
Furthermore, Kumamoto marks ten years since the major earthquake in 2016, having achieved creative reconstruction and drawing significant global attention amid the recent and continuing expansion of semiconductor-related companies.
©2010 Kumamoto pref. kumamon#K38281
Organizer
