International Day for Biological Diversity

Biodiversity is the living fabric of our planet. It underpins human well-being in the present and in the future, and its rapid decline threatens nature and people alike. On 22 May, we celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity, to raise awareness of the vital importance of preserving biodiversity. As a global hub for environmental governance, Geneva is home to many organizations active in safeguarding biodiversity.

About

The International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated each year on May 22, aims to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. Although it was originally celebrated in late December, the UN General Assembly later decided to move the date to 22 May, which commemorates the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992.

Biodiversity is the living fabric of our planet. It underpins human well-being in the present and in the future, and its rapid decline threatens nature and people alike. According to the latest Global Assessment by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), human activities are driving biodiversity loss at an unprecedented rate. However, the assessment also indicated that solutions existed and that it was not too late to act.

2026 Theme: Acting Locally for Global Impact

The IDB 2026 campaign will help connect local initiatives with the 23 global targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), focusing the world’s attention on the importance of applying the whole-of-society approach adopted within the Framework.

Applying the whole-of-society approach includes ways to enlist, enable, empower and leverage contributions of actors other than national governments at the local level, including indigenous peoples and local communities, sub-national governments, cities and other local authorities, women and youth groups, businesses and financial institutions, and other civil society organizations, among others.

Success in halting and reversing biodiversity loss hinges on the world’s ability to leverage the vital tapestry of local action in support of government-led actions. It is a two-way street:

Governments are expected to create enabling environments that are conducive to inclusive and meaningful participation of all actors in planning and implementation, including by ensuring access to information pertaining to the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs)—the master documents translating the global ambition of the KMGBF into measurable national undertakings.
Actors other than national governments are expected to seize all opportunities to contribute to planning and implementation, including by taking part in existing government-led processes and consultations, and by taking initiatives and actions aligned with the KMGBF, with the NBSAP and national targets serving as a guide.

UN Official website for International Day for Biological Diversity

CBD Official website of Biodiversity Day

Geneva Celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2026

To mark the day, the Geneva Environment Network and its partners are organizing the traditional Geneva celebration to showcase the role of Geneva in leveraging local and global action for nature.

In preparation for the 2026 UN Biodiversity Conference, leading experts from key Geneva-based UN institutions and processes speaking at the Geneva Celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity will update on preparations for this major milestone. They will also reflect on the need for inclusive, participatory and impactful whole-of-society action for nature, including through local mobilization for the implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). The event will also offer a forward-looking perspective on the priorities, vision and expected outcomes of the Conference, including through a dedicated high-level intervention by the incoming Presidency of COP17, outlining ongoing preparatory efforts and key directions toward Yerevan.

The celebration will feature Lightning Talks—dynamic five‑minute presentations in the PechaKucha format—where experts from various Geneva-based institutions will showcase how they are leveraging local and global action for nature.

Previous Themes

2025 | Harmony with nature and sustainable development
2024 | Be Part of the Plan
2023 | From agreement to action: build back biodiversity

Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was adopted during the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) following a four-year consultation and negotiation process. This historic Framework, which supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and builds on the Convention’s previous Strategic Plans, sets out an ambitious pathway to reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050. Among the Framework’s key elements are 4 goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030.

The implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will be guided and supported through a comprehensive package of decisions also adopted at COP 15. This package includes a monitoring framework for the GBF, an enhanced mechanism for planning, monitoring, reporting and reviewing implementation, the necessary financial resources for implementation, strategic frameworks for capacity development and technical and scientific cooperation, as well as an agreement on digital sequence information on genetic resources.

In adopting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, all Parties committed to setting national targets to implement it, while all other actors have been invited to develop and communicate their own commitments. At the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties in 2024 in Türkiye, the world will take stock of the targets and commitments that have been set.

Official text of the Kunming-Montreal GBF (CBD/COP/DEC/15/4)

Importance of Biodiversity

Scientists estimate that there are at least 8 million species of plants and animals living on earth today, including humans. The ecosystems in which these species live are incredibly complex and every piece of an ecosystem depends on the others like a jigsaw puzzle. Humans are immersed in ecosystems and depend on these interconnected networks of plants, animals, and people. However, human activities are significantly impacting ecosystems, for instance through man-made climate change, pollution, and habitat loss. By removing just one species as a result of climate change, pollution, habitat loss, or some other natural or man-made factors, a domino effect can occur that has a big impact on the entire ecosystem.

A healthy biodiversity and functioning ecosystems are essential for human societies in numerous ways. About half of the world’s GDP – about 44 trillion USD – is dependent on natural resources, while nature provides at least $125 trillion worth of services annually. Nature also protects our health in many ways. As the current pandemic has shown, the increasing negative impact of human activities on the environment severely threatens human and ecosystem health. Furthermore, as the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment pointed out in one of his latest report, ecosystem degradation and the decline of biodiversity are threatening the rights to life, health, food, a healthy environment, water, an adequate standard of living and culture.

Human negative impact on biodiversity has reached an unprecedented scale. About 75% of terrestrial environment and 66% of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human actions. Approximately 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction. Overall, current negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems are undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The main global drivers of biodiversity loss are climate change, invasive species, over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution and urbanization. Without rapid and ambitious action to reverse these trends and safeguard nature, we are at risk of failing to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

A healthy biosphere, with a rich biodiversity and functioning ecosystems, is the foundation to achieve the societal and economic goals of the SDGs. Source: Stockholm Resilience Centre

Role of Geneva

As a global hub for environmental governance, international Geneva plays a key role in the protection of biodiversity globally. Various international and local organizations in Geneva are engaged in the protection and conservation of our biological diversity.