Kritti Bhalla
Communications Officer
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of Parties, Biodiversity COP, begins on 21 October with Finance Day scheduled for 28 October. Whether you're in Cali or curious about the CBD COP, this event guide is here to help.
Running from 21 October to 1 November, attendees will gather at COP16 to work towards the mobilisation of resources to support global action on biodiversity.
The key objectives of the biodiversity COP are the conservation of biological diversity; the sustainable use of nature’s components; and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources.
Finance Day on 28 October will be a focal point for investors, with Nature Action 100 set to release its first set of company benchmark assessment results. Beyond that, there are also a whole host of brilliant events across the week, including several we are hosting or which feature our experts.
All times listed in Colombia Time (UTC-5). For more context on the conference, get up to speed on the event itself with our insight – understanding the biodiversity COP.
Investor action to halt biodiversity loss
This IIGCC-led event will be held at the Action Zone at Place Quebec, Blue Zone at 1:30 PM on Thursday 24 October and will explore the challenges and opportunities for enhanced business and investor action on nature. The event will highlight best practice and identify where policy support can facilitate financial flows towards achieving the Biodiversity Plan targets. It will also discuss how our Nature Action 100 and Finance Sector Deforestation Action (FSDA) initiatives support in these key areas.
The session will open with a keynote address from Claudine Blamey, Chief Sustainability Officer at Aviva, and feature a panel discussion with Sonya Likhtman, (Federated Hermes), Emily Mackenzie (TNFD) and Christian O'Dwyer (Bloomberg). The panel will be moderated by Norah Berk, Senior Programme Manager on Nature at IIGCC.
➡️Link to Convention on Biological Diversity
Invest in nature: Progress and future of biodiversity finance – Partnership of Biodiversity and Finance (PBF) roundtable.
The PBF roundtable aims to integrate biodiversity into investment decision-making and mobilise multi-stakeholder action to achieve Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets. The event presented by World Resources Institute (WRI) will take place at Big Room, Nature Positive Pavilion between 10:30-11:30 AM on Friday 25 October.
IIGCC delegates will be in attendance at the event.
Addressing deforestation: how investors can support positive change across the value chain | Bloom
The Bloom event series has curated a group of 500 thought leaders and practitioners to explore how companies can halt and reverse nature loss within their operations and supply chain. Peter Taylor, our Corporate Programme Director, and Norah Berk, Senior Programme Manager – Nature, will participate in the VIP workshop roundtable, hosted on the second day of this two-day event between 1:30-4:30 PM on Friday, 25 October.
WCF: World Biodiversity Summit
The fifth edition of the World Biodiversity Summit focuses on harnessing opportunities from nature-positive transitions and biodiversity restoration. Each session will explore the challenges, opportunities, and key drivers — including nature-positive investments, regulatory frameworks, and conservation strategies — that are essential for systemic change.
Peter Taylor, Corporate Programme Director, will be moderating panel ‘Monitor, Assess and Disclose: Aligning Supply Chains with Global Biodiversity Targets’ at MUSEO - Museo La Tertulia between 11:45 AM-12:45 PM on Saturday, 26 October.
➡️Find out more about the WCF: World Biodiversity Summit
Nature stewardship for asset owners and asset managers
Hosted by IIGCC, Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures, PRI and Ceres, the event will invite asset owners and asset managers to discuss how they are increasingly engaging in stewardship initiatives around nature. It will be held at Dann Carlton Hotel Cali between 10:30 AM-12:00 PM on Sunday, 27 October.
Business and Biodiversity Forum
The Business and Biodiversity Forum will host a talk ‘Transparency leading transformation: the role of environmental disclosure in igniting change’. The event will be held in the Blue Zone, Sierra Nevada Room, WG2 between 11:20 AM-12:30 PM on Sunday, 27 October. IIGCC delegates will attend the event.
Implementing the biodiversity plan: Corporate action on nature loss
Two years on from its launch at COP15, Nature Action 100 will release its first benchmark assessment of 100 companies in key nature-dependent sectors.
The partners of Nature Action 100 – IIGCC, Ceres, Planet Tracker, and Finance for Biodiversity Foundation – will be joined by some of the financial institutions that supported the benchmark development. They will discuss where companies stand in their nature-related action and disclosure and highlight opportunities to accelerate action.
This event will be held in the Finance and Biodiversity Pavilion between 10:00-11:00 AM on Tuesday, 29 October.
➡️Learn more and register to attend
Bridging the gap: How effective policy can promote sustainable land use and mitigate deforestation
This event will bring together representatives from government, the private sector, and civil society to foster a deeper understanding of how policies can promote sustainable land use and combat deforestation. Speakers will also discuss the role of multi-stakeholder partnerships in driving systemic change.
The event is hosted by Storebrand and co-organised with Investor Policy Dialogue on Deforestation (IPDD) Initiative, Finance Sector Deforestation Action initiative, High-Level Champions, Global Canopy, and Tropical Forest Alliance.
It will be held in the Finance and Biodiversity Pavilion in the Blue Zone between 5:00-7:00 PM on Tuesday, 29 October. The event will be followed by a reception.
Progress made by financial institutions in addressing and managing nature-related financial risks | EU Pavilion
The panel – held at the EU Pavilion in the Blue Zone between 8:30-9:30 AM on Tuesday, 29 October – will discuss the latest developments, and the progress made by financial institutions in addressing and managing nature-related financial risks. IIGCC delegates will attend the event.
Though this panel will not be broadcasted, many of the EU events are – check the link below for more details.
➡️What’s happening in the EU Pavilion
CDP: COP 16 Roundtable on Nature Transition Plans (Invite Only) Nature Positive
The invite-only event, organised by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CDP), will be held in the Nature Positive Pavilion in the Blue Zone between 3:30-4:30 PM on Tuesday, 29 October. IIGCC delegates will attend this event. Norah Berek, Senior Programme Manager on Nature at IIGCC, will be attending.
From ambition to action - nature stewardship initiatives following COP15
In this session, representatives from Nature Action 100, WBA, PRI Spring, and others will discuss their priorities for addressing biodiversity loss and showcase concrete actions launched since COP15, highlighting links to the Global Biodiversity Framework.
They will explore how various nature stewardship initiatives complement each other, share lessons learned, and address challenges to participation, aiming to encourage further collective action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
The event will be held on Tuesday, October 29 between 11:45 AM-12:45 PM at the Finance and Biodiversity Pavilion.
Stay tuned
Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for all the latest news and updates from across Biodiversity COP and read more about specific events.
If you’d like to take part in our working groups and be the first to see insights and analysis, why not speak to our investor relations manager today to find out more about becoming a part of IIGCC.