IHSES 2026 will bring together global leaders, technical experts, and front-line practitioners to exchange lessons from the field, explore proven interventions, and discuss how artificial intelligence, automation, and digital assurance can enhance decision-making and strengthen risk management.
Under the theme ‘Taking action for nature’, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) COP17 will take stock of progress on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) adopted by nations at COP15. This first global review of collective progress draws on countries’ national biodiversity strategies, targets and reports, with COP17 supporting a whole of society approach to accelerating action on achieving the GBF targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.
As industrial water usage increases, water strategy can no longer be left to governments and utility companies. Economist Impact’s Water Summit brings together senior leaders from across the water industry’s value chain—including industrial users, utilities, investors, technology providers and regulators—to explore resilient strategies to protect their businesses.
COP30 in Brazil will emphasise a people and nature focused response to climate action, captured in the Presidency’s call for a global ‘Mutirão’, a Portuguese word derived from the indigenous Tupi-Guarani language that refers to a collective group coming together to work on a shared task, and the placement of nature issues on the COP30 action agenda.