Our Strategic Approach
IUCN is committed to delivering the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 as an ambitious benchmark in sustainable event management. The Congress will be guided by a comprehensive Sustainability Policy, underpinned by the internationally recognised ISO 20121 standard, which provides the central framework for planning and delivering a sustainable event.
Building on the success of previous initiatives, including the ISO 20121 certification awarded to the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016 in Hawaii and IUCN Congress 2021 in Marseille, IUCN is working to enhance its sustainable event management practices even further.
A Policy-Driven Commitment
In keeping with its leadership in conservation and sustainability, IUCN has adopted an impactful IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 Sustainability Policy to guide the planning and delivery of the Congress. This policy reflects IUCN’s responsibility to minimise environmental impact, maximise positive social and economic outcomes, and ensure transparency and accountability in the planning and execution of the event.
Action Plan and Strategic Pathways
To implement the policy, IUCN has developed a detailed Sustainability Action Plan structured around four key pathways:
- Economic & Societal: Maximise local and global positive impact
- Environmental: Minimise the ecological footprint of the Congress
- Social: Organise a unifying and inclusive event
- Governance: Strengthen resilience, ethics, and transparency
Each pathway is supported by objectives, specific actions, and dedicated KPIs to track and report progress. The Congress sustainability report will follow this framework, providing transparent updates aligned with each area of focus.
Roadmap to ISO 20121 Certification
At the core of the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 Sustainability Policy is the goal to achieve ISO 20121 certification, the globally recognised standard for sustainable event management. This standard ensures that sustainability is embedded into every stage of the Congress lifecycle, from planning through to delivery and legacy.
IUCN is currently in the implementation phase of its 20-month certification roadmap, following the ISO 20121 methodology: Plan, Implement, Check-Act, and Improve. The current phase, Implement, focuses on putting the sustainability policy and action plan into practice across all Congress operations.
Progress is being tracked systematically, and IUCN will continue to keep all stakeholders informed through regular updates, ensuring transparency and shared ownership of this purposeful journey.
Collaborative and Inclusive Approach
The development of the policy and action plan has been shaped by an extensive stakeholder engagement process, involving both internal teams and external partners. This inclusive consultation ensures that the Congress reflects diverse perspectives and meets high expectations for environmental and social performance.
To support this effort, IUCN is collaborating with the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement), a pioneering international agency dedicated to driving positive socio-economic and environmental transformation, and Green Evénements, an expert in developing responsible event strategies.
Offsetting carbon emissions
For the Congress, IUCN invites participants to contribute to nature conservation by offsetting the carbon emissions associated with their participation in the event, whether they attend online or onsite. For the latter, the calculation will include the emissions generated by travel as well as those generated onsite by the event itself.
Through the online registration process, participants will be prompted to contribute, from a curated list, to one of the selected projects offering certified carbon offset credits. The selection of projects was performed through a dedicated Call for Proposals restricted to IUCN Members, in alignment with the IUCN Carbon Offsetting Policy. Additional projects may be offered and will be selected following the principles outlined in the latter policy.
The list of projects may vary throughout the registration period as IUCN will purchase credits ahead of the event, based upon the Congress carbon emissions estimation, and will make these credits available through the registration system. Once a project is sold out, it may not be replaced.
Carbon Offset Projects
This project in Guatemala’s Izabal Department helps protect forests by preventing unplanned deforestation. Over 30 years, it aims to generate 24.4 million tCO2e of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions reductions. Led by FUNDAECO, it supports local communities with better land management, alternative incomes, and stronger governance, ensuring long-term benefits for people, wildlife, and the environment.
The Chyulu Hills REDD+ Project conserves about 410,000 hectares of Kenya's Chyulu Hills, reducing deforestation and supporting local communities. It creates wildlife corridors, provides freshwater, and funds sustainable livelihoods, healthcare, and education. This collaboration mitigates climate change and enhances biodiversity through better land management and community engagement.
Located in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, the Petcacab and Polinkin Ejido exemplifies community forest management. With 35+ years of experience, it integrates wood processing, handicrafts, and conservation. Protecting 47,458 hectares, it engages in carbon markets, reinvesting revenue into community projects, sustainability, and economic resilience while preserving biodiversity.
Located in Calakmul, Campeche, the Ejido Xbonil Project protects over 12,000 hectares of tropical forest. Home to diverse Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, it safeguards biodiversity and iconic wildlife. Through forest carbon capture and natural regeneration, the community enhances carbon stocks while promoting sustainable resource use and long-term socio-environmental resilience.