The Business Summit opened with a high-level plenary that set the stage by outlining how financing biodiversity is essential not just for nature and people, but for the resilience of businesses. A full programme over several days enabled business leaders from more than 20 industries to dive deep into the challenges, opportunities, needs, and successes of business action on nature. Through leadership dialogues, roundtables, deep-dive sessions, panel discussions, fireside chats, and announcements of new collaborations and progress on existing initiatives, the Summit elevated the visibility of business within the Congress and fostered dialogue at the highest levels.
The Summit sends a strong message that business is no longer on the sidelines when it comes to nature, as nature is now a strategic issue for business and finance globally, recognising that the degradation of nature is a driver of risk. As the resilience of business depends on the resilience of nature, leaders at the Summit emphasised that every company needs to step forward to play a role as a full and active partner in nature restoration and conservation.
Marco Lambertini, Convener of the Nature Positive Initiative, a Summit partner, said “This Business Summit has shown the power of collaboration and how nature is rising ever higher on the agenda of the private sector. The nature-positive vision is not abstract, it is a unifying goal that can inspire action and innovation on a global scale.”
Tony Goldner, Chief Executive Officer of TNFD, a Summit partner, said “The dialogues here reinforced that aligning financial flows with nature is both urgent and possible, and that businesses are sending a strong signal that now more than ever, they are ready to act."
The Director General of IUCN, Dr. Grethel Aguilar, emphasised that the Business Summit is a milestone for the IUCN Congress and for the movement to place nature at the heart of business and finance. “By hosting this Business Summit, IUCN has reaffirmed that businesses are not just stakeholders in the nature agenda – they are catalysts for change, innovation, and lasting impact. Building a nature-positive future requires all sectors to take bold steps, and the private sector’s ingenuity, investments, and leadership are indispensable in that journey. The diversity of voices gathered here in Abu Dhabi – leaders from finance, industry, government, and civil society – reflects our shared conviction that collaboration, not competition, is the only way to progress along the sustainability path. Together, we are proving that by protecting nature, we are creating prosperity and shaping a more just and equitable future.”