Kumamoto Hosts Global Nature Positive Summit to Halt Biodiversity Loss

The Global Nature Positive Summit opened on 14 July 2026 in Kumamoto City, Japan, bringing together companies, researchers and international organisations to discuss ways to stop biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems. Kumamoto Mayor Kazuo Ohnishi highlighted the city’s groundwater conservation efforts, while Princess Takamado urged accelerated action, stating that humanity cannot survive without nature.

The two‑day summit will examine the economic and social importance of biodiversity recovery and aims to issue a "Kumamoto Declaration" on the final day. The Nature Positive Initiative (NPI), co‑founded by IUCN, the World Resources Institute, corporations and financial institutions, presented a draft set of indicators to measure ecosystem loss and conservation progress, covering metrics such as ecosystem area, species extinction risk and key species populations. The draft remains under discussion.

The conference seeks to foster international cooperation and develop metrics that could guide future corporate and policy actions toward nature restoration.