Joint Multilateral Development Bank Pavilion 19 to 30 October 2026 Armenia The Joint Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Pavilion at the Seventeenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) brings together eight participating MDBs and their partners to explore how finance, investment, and collaboration can turn global biodiversity commitments into practical action. Participating institutions are the African Development Bank Group, Asian Development Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank Group, Islamic Development Bank, and World Bank Group. Under the shared message “Taking Action for Nature, Together,” the Pavilion’s side events showcase approaches and country experiences that support implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Sessions span nature finance and capital markets, financial regulation and nature-related risks, restoration and landscapes, sustainable agriculture, the blue economy, and natural capital approaches. Through discussions among policymakers, development practitioners, financial institutions, and other partners, the program explores how to mobilize public and private finance, integrate nature into investment and policy decisions, and strengthen cooperation across MDBs. It also examines lessons from implementation, the constraints countries face, and opportunities to advance biodiversity priorities alongside sustainable development. Explore the program below for session descriptions, agendas, and speaker information. Join public sessions through the livestreams and revisit the discussions through recordings as they become available. On 19 October 2026, watch the Livestream here or on the ADB DevAsia YouTube Channel. Program and Learning Materials 19 October 2026 20 October 2026 21 October 2026 22 October 2026 23 October 2026 26 October 2026 27 October 2026 28 October 2026 29 October 2026 Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 17:00 – 18:15, Armenia time Sustainably Financing Big Cat Conservation in Latin America, Africa and Asia: Comparisons, Case Studies, and Collective Action Big cat landscapes are among the world's most important ecosystems for biodiversity, climate resilience, freshwater security and sustainable… Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 10:00 – 11:00, Armenia time From Evidence to Action: Operationalizing Biodiversity and Regenerative Practices in Agriculture What does it take to operationalize biodiversity-enhancing and regenerative practices in agriculture? This session answers that question through real… 13:15 – 14:30, Armenia time 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… 15:00 – 16:15, Armenia time Turning Hectares into Jobs This event brings together WBG programs from the Southern Caucasus to West and Central Africa working across forest systems to make the case that… 17:00 – 18:15, Armenia time Protecting Blue Assets, Creating Jobs: Investing in Nature for Resilient Growth Ocean economies and marine ecosystems have significant potential to support sustainable economic growth, food security, livelihoods, jobs, and… Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 10:00 – 11:00, Armenia time Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Dedicated Windows: Lessons for Emerging Mechanisms High-level roundtable led by CIF, WBG and AfDB highlighting how the governance model and learnings from the Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous… 13:15 – 14:30, Armenia time Unlocking Investment in Nature-Based Solutions: Digital Case Studies from African Cities African cities are increasingly on the frontline of climate change, facing escalating risks from flooding, heat stress, coastal erosion, water… 15:00 – 16:15, Armenia time 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… 17:00 – 18:15, Armenia time Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 10:00 – 11:00, Armenia time From Restoration to Investment: Who Pays for Nature at Scale? Nature restoration is increasingly recognised not only as an environmental imperative, but also as a foundation for long-term economic… 13:15 – 14:30, Armenia time 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… 15:00 – 16:15, Armenia time Building Bridges: Linking Nature Outcomes to Infrastructure Investment Infrastructure investments are among the largest drivers of both biodiversity loss, but can also be among the most important supporters of… 17:00 – 18:15, Armenia time Unlocking Africa’s Nature-Positive Bioeconomy: Mobilizing Blended Finance for Infrastructure, Value Creation, Sustainable Development, and Shared Growth Africa’s bioeconomy offers significant opportunities to drive resilient economic growth, job creation, trade competitiveness and nature-positive… Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 10:00 – 11:00, Armenia time 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,… 13:15 – 14:30, Armenia time Unlocking Nature Finance in Africa: State of Play and Opportunities for MDB Collaboration The African Development Bank proposes to convene a strategic side event on unlocking nature finance in Africa, with a focus on the state of play,… 15:00 – 16:15, Armenia time Peatlands and Wetlands as Strategic Assets: Financing Resilience, Security, and the Next Generation of Nature Markets Peatlands and wetlands are among the world’s most valuable natural assets, underpinning climate resilience, water security, biodiversity and human… Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 10:00 – 11:00, Armenia time The Road to Scale: Enabling High-Integrity Nature Markets The event will begin with a 20-minute presentation of the new MDB policy brief, The Road to Scale: Pathways through Nature Markets, which provides… 13:15 – 14:30, Armenia time Island Solutions for Nature - Biodiversity Success Stories from Caribbean SIDS and Opportunities for Scaling Support To highlight successful biodiversity initiatives from CDB Borrowing Member Countries; identify lessons and opportunities for scaling impact; and… 15:00 – 16:15, Armenia time The How: Financing Nature Through Capital Markets This session explores how capital markets can direct private finance to nature, with a focus on action towards Target 19 Financial Resources of the… 17:00 – 18:15, Armenia time Making Nature Count: Valuing Natural Capital for Resilience, Climate and Economic Security Nature and healthy ecosystems are critical economic assets, underpinning resilience, climate adaptation, food and water security, competitiveness and… Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 10:00 – 11:00, Armenia time When Water Runs Dry: How Droughts Amplify Nature-Related Financial Risk This will be a high-level panel discussion on show-casing evidence how the increased water scarcity and drought-related events are exacerbating… 13:15 – 14:30, Armenia time 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… 15:00 – 16:15, Armenia time Mainstreaming Nature into Cross-Sectoral Policies and Investments The event will open with welcome remarks, followed by a 10-minute presentation of the new Natural Capital Toolkit and accompanying MOOC. The session… 17:00 – 18:15, Armenia time 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… Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 8:15 – 9:30, Armenia time 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… 10:00 – 11:00, Armenia time Financing the Agrifood Transition The agrifood system is one of the most strongly linked activities to nature – it is both highly dependent on, and highly impactful on, biological… 13:15 – 14:30, Armenia time From Data to Action: Aligning Tools, Metrics and Methodologies to Measure Nature Risk and Resilience Effective action on biodiversity and ecosystem degradation requires moving from growing volumes of data to consistent, decision-useful measures of… 15:00 – 16:15, Armenia time Launch of MDB Practice Note on Biodiversity Gains The event will be a launch of the biodiversity gains practice note that was initially drafted by EBRD and has since been co-developed with other MDBs… 17:00 – 18:15, Armenia time 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… Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) 10:00 – 11:00, Armenia time Closing the Biodiversity Finance Gap in Latin America and the Caribbean: New Estimates and Pathways for Transformative Investment At this event, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will launch the… 15:00 – 16:15, Armenia time The Economics of Restoration: Unlocking Capital for Restoration in Amazonia The side event will begin with 5 minutes of welcome remarks and framing from an IDB Group representative, setting the context for the discussion and… 17:00–18:15, Armenia time Mobilizing Partners for the International Marine Protected Areas Congress Dakar 2027: Advancing Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Conservation Under the Convention on Biological Diversity Framework This joint event between the African Development Bank and the Government of Senegal will position the International Marine Protected Areas Congress… 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 NSFH Team ADB Organizer/s Climate Change and Sustainable Development Climate Change, Nature, and Environment Division Read Also ADB Participation at the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP16) NSFH Participation at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference 2026 (CBD COP17) Topics Environment Finance Public-Private Partnership Regional Cooperation and Integration