From 14–15 July 2026, the Second Global Nature Positive Summit 2026 was held in Kumamoto City, Japan. The Summit brought together more than 2,700 participants from around the world, including government representatives, local governments, businesses, financial institutions, research organizations, and civil society. During the Summit, participants engaged in discussions on advancing the transition toward a nature-positive society—a vision that aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and restore nature.

On the final day of the Summit, the Kumamoto Declaration was adopted. The Declaration calls for accelerated action by all stakeholders, including governments, local governments, businesses, financial institutions, and civil society, to achieve the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF)—halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieving the recovery of nature by 2050.
The Declaration also expresses a commitment to further accelerate the implementation of the KMGBF and strengthen collaboration toward the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), which will be held in Yerevan, Armenia, in October 2026.

As a co-organizer of the Summit, ICLEI Japan collaborated with local governments, national government agencies, research institutions, and other stakeholders to plan and organize three official side events. At these side events, representatives from ICLEI Japan member local governments—including Sado City, Kawasaki City, Kobe City, and Aichi Prefecture—as well as ICLEI Japan Executive Director Togo Uchida, participated as speakers and shared their perspectives and initiatives.

Sado City introduced its landscape approach centered on coexistence with the Japanese crested ibis and shared its nature-positive initiatives developed through collaboration between local communities and research institutions. The city also presented future perspectives for building sustainable communities. The recording and presentation materials from the session featuring Sado City are available here.

Kawasaki City introduced its initiatives toward realizing the Future Vision for Greenery in Kawasaki, including the expansion of Natural Symbiosis Sites and examples of collaboration with diverse stakeholders through the KAWASAKI NATURE LOOP Global Platform. The city also shared its efforts to develop the “Kawasaki Model” by visualizing greenery and biodiversity to promote greater understanding and action.

Kobe City introduced its efforts to sustainably manage and restore satoyama landscapes, using the satoyama area in Kita Ward as an example. This area was the first site in Japan to be registered in the UN OECM database.
The city shared its nature-positive practices implemented through collaboration with diverse stakeholders, including the conservation of rare species, restoration of abandoned farmland, and citizen-participatory events.

Aichi Prefecture introduced its initiatives to promote biodiversity conservation and advance a nature-positive future through collaboration among diverse stakeholders under the Aichi Biodiversity Strategy 2030. These initiatives include the Aichi Biodiversity Corporate Certification System, seminars for businesses, and matching programs that connect companies with citizen groups to encourage collaborative actions for biodiversity.

The outcomes of the Summit provided an important message for CBD COP17. As a network of local governments, ICLEI Japan will continue to support local governments in advancing biodiversity conservation and the development of nature-positive communities. It will also promote the active participation of local governments in international discussions and processes related to biodiversity and sustainability.

For more information on the Summit report and outcomes, please click here.

▶ Watch the Summit Highlights