ADB at CBD COP17 19 to 30 October 2026 Armenia Nature underpins the economies, food systems, and livelihoods of Asia and the Pacific. At CBD COP17 in Yerevan, under the theme "Taking Action for Nature," ADB shows how biodiversity commitments can become financed investments, delivering practical action. In 2026, ADB chairs the Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Heads of Nature Group and coordinates the joint MDB Pavilion on behalf of partner MDBs. ADB is also supporting Armenia's COP17 presidency through technical assistance that runs to 2028. ADB's work on nature spans the entire spectrum of our activities, from compliance-driven safeguards work to nature mainstreaming and to supporting nature-positive investments in agriculture, water, cities, energy and transport. ADB is scaling up our work on positive investments and, through financing platforms such as the Nature Solutions Finance Hub and by issuing nature bonds, we are building momentum. Explore ADB-led sessions, our work in Armenia, and resources below. For the full MDB Pavilion programme and livestreams, visit the Joint MDB Pavilion page or DevAsia YouTube channel. KEY MESSAGES Previous Next IN THE SPOTLIGHT Program and Learning Materials ADB-led Events Partner-led Events with ADB Participation Nature and Biodiversity in Armenia Voices of COP17 Financing Platforms News Release and Articles Publications and Resources Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 20 October From Crisis to Resilience: Rethinking Fertilizer Use to Restore Soil Health Global fertilizer shortages and rising input costs are posing an immediate challenge to farmers and food security, but also creating an opportunity… 21 October Aligning Finance with Nature: How Biodiversity Commitments Influence Investment Decisions The KMGBF calls for financial flows to become progressively aligned with biodiversity goals. For MDBs, this raises a practical question about how… 22 October Making Peace with Nature: Environmental Disputes – From Prevention to Resolution As biodiversity loss accelerates and pressures on land, water, forests, and other natural resources intensify, disputes among governments,… 22 October Rethinking Offsets: What We’ve Learned and Where We Go Next This session will explore biodiversity offset practice and what has been learned from its implementation. The discussion will begin with reflections… 23 October Unlocking Nature for Development: From Economic Evidence to Policy and Finance Investing in nature can deliver high economic returns, as natural capital underpins growth, livelihoods, fiscal stability, and resilience. Yet,… 26 October MDB Nature Finance – Contributions to the implementation of the GBF Finance for nature continues to fall significantly short of what is required to bend the curve and restore biodiversity at scale. This session… 26 October From Commitment to Capital: Scaling Nature-Positive Investment through the ADB–EU Partnership in the Nature Solutions Finance Hub The interconnected crises of biodiversity loss, climate change, and environmental degradation continue to threaten economic prosperity, resilience,… 27 October Mobilizing Capital for Biodiversity: Scaling Nature Finance through Capital Markets Despite growing global ambition and commitment to biodiversity conservation under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), many… 27 October Energy Transition – Solutions to Biodiversity Impacts The transition to low-carbon energy systems will require a major expansion of renewable energy generation and power networks which can have… 28 October Nature in Financial Regulation: Global Lessons for Central Banks and Supervisors Nature loss and ecosystem degradation are creating growing risks for financial systems, while also highlighting the need to mobilize and redirect… 28 October Nature Finance Taxonomy: A Discussion Towards a Common Understanding and Scaling Impact While global commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) call for accelerated and consolidated efforts to halt and… 29 October Launch of the Model Forest Act – From Global Partnership to the Legal Protection of Forests The Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI) is a groundbreaking initiative to transform national forest laws to address 21st-century challenges such as… 29 October Judges Day, a Major Parallel Event of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 17) Judges Day is one of the major parallel events that will be held during the Seventeenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on… 30 October Environmental Protection and the Judiciary The judicial colloquium on environmental protection and the judiciary will convene judges from Armenia and around the world to exchange insights on… Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 23 October Financing Asian Rangeland Restoration at Scale: Investing in Nature for GBF Implementation (Breakfast Dialogue) Hosted by WWF, this dialogue will convene governments, MDBs, finance institutions, UN agencies, and implementation partners to explore practical… Yoko Watanabe 23 October The Republic of Armenia’s Experience in Spatial Data Infrastructure Development, Legislative Frameworks, and Spatial Data Applications Organized by the Cadastre Committee of the Republic of Armenia with support from ADB, this session will present Armenia’s experience in developing… 24 October 9th Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities: Dialogue on Mobilising Finance and Enabling Action Convened by ICLEI with the CBD Secretariat, the City of Yerevan, the Armenian Ministry of Environment, and Regions4, this official parallel event… Yoko Watanabe 24 October Towards Understanding the True Cost of Governance in Integrated Landscape Approaches Led by UNU-IAS with partners including IPSI, EcoAgriculture Partners, CGIAR, UNDP, FAO, the CBD Secretariat, and ADB, this side event draws on… 25 October Business and Biodiversity Forum The seventh Business and Biodiversity Forum brings governments, businesses, and financial institutions together to move from commitments to practical… 26 October Finance and Biodiversity Day Hosted by the CBD Secretariat, the day brings the finance sector together to turn the KMGBF into investable opportunities, covering nature-smart… Yevgeniy Zhukov 26 October Towards a Nature Positive Economy: The Role of Finance and Insurance This session examines the business case for finance and insurance to adopt the nature-positive ambition in support of GBF Targets 14 and 19, and what… 26 October The Future of Nature is Economic: Building Partnerships for Nature and Economic Prosperity (High-Level Dialogue and Networking Reception) Co-hosted by the Armenian COP17 Presidency, the Ministry of Finance of Armenia, the CBD Secretariat, and the Coalition of Finance Ministers for… 27 October Ministerial Dialogue: Financial Action for Nature Convened by the Armenian COP17 Presidency and the CBD Secretariat with the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action and UNEP, this dialogue… 27 October Unlocking Finance for Nature-Positive Food Systems: The Landscape Finance Approach in Practice Organized by WWF, this session will show how the Landscape Finance Approach turns biodiversity and food systems ambitions into investment-ready… Yating Ru 28 October Launch of MDB Briefing Note: Identifying Opportunities to Support Biodiversity Objectives Through MDB Operations Hosted by EBRD, this panel will launch an MDB briefing note on integrating biodiversity gains into development finance. MDBs, conservation… Beatrice Yulo Gomez Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) Protecting Lake Sevan through evidence and investment planning Strengthening Environmental Resilience and Fostering Sustainable Economy for Lake Sevan (56031-001, TA 10148) Planning for nature in Yerevan Preparing for the Lake Yerevan and Hrazdan Gorge Rejuvenation Project (58415-001, TA 10511) Supporting Armenia's biodiversity commitments Capacity and Knowledge Support for National Biodiversity Commitments to the CBD (60002-001, TA 10791) Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 19 October Welcome and ADB's COP17 Agenda 20 October Armenia and Lake Sevan 22 October Lake Sevan work and Next Steps 25 October Joint MDB Report Teaser 26 October Financing Nature at Scale 29 October Thailand Sustainability-Linked Bond and Nature Bond Incubator 30 October COP17 Wrap-up and Next Steps 30 October Safeguards for Biodiversity in Infrastructure Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) Nature Solutions Finance Hub (NSFH) An ADB-led platform that brings financial and technical partners together to scale investment in nature-based solutions across Asia and the Pacific. Explore the NSFH View NSFH Flyer Ocean Resilience and Coastal Adaptation (ORCA) ORCA mobilizes finance, knowledge and partnerships for healthier oceans and more resilient coasts. View ORCA flyer Explore the ORCA Trust Fund Global Environment Facility (GEF) Through its partnership with GEF, ADB helps developing member countries access environmental funding and combine it with ADB financing. Explore the ADB–GEF Partnership See ADB–GEF Projects and Stories Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) News Release, 5 May 2026 ADB and Germany Expand Partnership to Scale Nature Finance across Asia and the Pacific News Release, 29 October 2024 ADB Issues Its First Biodiversity and Nature Bond Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) Publication | June 2025 Environment Action Plan 2024–2030 Publication | June 2025 Investing in Biodiversity and Nature in Asia and the Pacific Publication | January 2026 Resilience for Lake Sevan: Leveraging the Economic Value of Ecosystem Services for Strategic Pollution Control Investments in Armenia Resource | November 2025 MDB Common Principles for Tracking Nature Finance Resource | November 2025 MDB Common Nature Finance Taxonomy Disclaimer The views expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Event Coordinator/s Duncan Lang Karen Ochavo Pailyn Tan ADB Organizer/s Climate Change and Sustainable Development Climate Change, Nature, and Environment Division Read Also Joint Multilateral Development Bank Pavilion NSFH Participation at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference 2026 (CBD COP17) Topics Climate Change Environment Finance