From global dialogue to 2026 action: IUCN convenes environmental organisations in Bonn to prepare for the triple COP year

The event "From Global Dialogue to 2026 Action" brought together leaders from across Bonn's environmental community to assess key policy signals emerging from the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress and the Global Landscape Forum events and to look ahead at the processes shaping the environmental agenda in 2026. The high-level panel, moderated by Boris Erg, Director of the IUCN European Regional Office, examined the current state of climate, biodiversity and land restoration efforts.

Representatives from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) all echoed a clear message: stronger coherence across the Rio Conventions is urgently needed. Continued siloed implementation, they warned, risks undermining collective progress.

"It's time to step up and not lose faith. We can't continue having redundant approaches. Sometimes we put measures in place that have negative impacts in other areas. For example, expanding mining for critical minerals to support the energy transition can, if not managed sustainably, drive biodiversity loss and land degradation."

Andrea Meza Murillo, Deputy Executive Secretary, UN Convention to Combat Desertification

This call comes at a pivotal moment, as 2026 marks a “triple COP” year, with all three Rio Conventions holding their Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to address the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. 

“At every COP, multilateralism has demonstrated resilience. We already have the frameworks and national plans, but what we need now is acceleration of implementation and systemic transformation across all sectors.” 

 Damon Jones, Programmes Coordination Manager at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Four key messages from the panel discussion:

1. Strong frameworks exist, but implementation remains the critical gap
Across global environmental agendas, robust international frameworks and growing political ambition are already in place. However, progress is hindered by persistent challenges in translating commitments into effective, on-the-ground action. Bridging this implementation gap is essential to achieving climate, biodiversity, and land restoration goals.

2. Integrated planning and cross-sectoral coordination are essential
Current approaches are often fragmented and siloed, leading to inefficiencies, overlaps, and sometimes counterproductive outcomes. Achieving global targets requires more coherent, integrated planning across sectors and governance levels, with stronger alignment between policies to meet RIO Convention targets efficiently.

3. Transformative change is needed at all levels
Meaningful progress depends on systemic, transformative change. It requires simultaneous action at local, national, and multilateral levels, not only in policies, but also in practices, mindsets, and approaches.

4. Community participation is key
Engaging local communities and leadership is essential for achieving global environmental goals within limited timeframes.

An interactive segment of the event invited participants to move beyond diagnosis and focus on solutions - specifically, how countries can translate global commitments into meaningful progress on the ground. Key recommendations included strengthening cross-ministerial coordination, developing integrated financing approaches, investing in local capacity building and using narratives that resonate with the lived realities of communities.

Eight calls for action ahead of Rio Convention COPs

1. Institutional and policy alignment

• Ensure national coordination on mechanisms, strategies, targets, reporting across UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD, and strengthen links between ministries, IPBES and IPPC.
• Require cross-referencing of commitments between conventions.

2. Integration from planning to action 

• Develop multi-benefit policies in areas such as forests, land restoration, water management and agriculture.
• Use common indicators that capture climate, biodiversity, and land outcomes.
• Scale localised decision-making and decentralize implementation.

3. Finance reform and engaged private sector

• Expand integrated funding criteria and require multi-convention benefits.
• Strengthen monitoring and reporting of climate/nature investments.
• Redirect investments toward non-fossil and nature-positive solutions.
• Promote ESG responsibility, shareholder activism, public-private financing partnerships.
• Use technology and AI for responsible monitoring and solutions.

4. Build trust to ensure accountability

• Strengthen national accountability systems for COP commitments: signing is only the first step!
• Publicly track implementation progress.
• Highlight and communicate success stories in an accessible way.
• Ensure meaningful participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities.

5. Shift narratives

• Work with media to keep climate and nature visible.
• Translate technical concepts into everyday impacts for humans on water, land, food, focused on solutions and alternative visions for a brighter future.
• Reinforce the narrative that the rulebooks already exist and the priority is now implementation, coordination, and promoting solutions - from “agreements signed” to “actions delivered”. 

6. Strengthen community, women, youth, Indigenous voices

• Fund community-led projects with scalable potential.
• Support cross-sector alliances such as science, NGOs, private sector, art, etc.
• Invest in youth leadership and capacity development.
• Enable civil society to hold governments accountable.

7. Address power imbalances

• Fund participation of the South and underrepresented groups to COPs.
• Ensure Indigenous leadership is substantive, not symbolic.
• Counterbalance corporate lobbying influence.

8. Leverage 2026 as a turning point

• Position the 2026 COPs as a “systems integration moment” for the Rio Conventions.
• Use 2026 COP momentum to ensure science actively informs negotiations and implementation

Underlying these discussions was a shared conviction: lasting system change requires simultaneous action at local, national and multilateral levels. True progress will depend not only on improved policies, but also on transforming the practices, incentives and mindsets that shape decision-making.