The European Center of Sustainable Development (ECSDEV), in collaboration with CIT University, is organizing ICSD 2026 under the theme “Creating a Unified Foundation for Sustainable Development: Research, Practice and Education”.

The conference will address environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and research-based solutions to global challenges and the efficient use of resources.

Biodiversity is critical to ecosystem resilience, human health and well-being, and the economy. But species are disappearing faster than at any point in human history – threatening our food systems, climate, water security and many livelihoods.

Yet transformational conservation is possible. Every four years, global leaders, experts, and advocates gather at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress to shape the future of conservation and sustainable development.

CIFOR-ICRAF will be there, leading discussions on how trees, forests and agroforestry can be harnessed to drive impact for biodiversity conservation.

Few places capture the confluence of the biodiversity and climate crises as evocatively as the Amazon Basin. Its rainforests are home to vast biodiversity and immense carbon stores, and are themselves crucial for global water cycling and climate regulation. Yet the biome hovers close to an irreversible ‘tipping point’ that could see its systems collapse by 2050.

With the Amazonian city of Belém, Brazil as the backdrop for the much-anticipated 30th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP30), the critical roles of nature and land use in mitigating climate impacts will be front of mind.

As at previous COPs, CIFOR-ICRAF will bring to the table our decades of research and practice exploring how forests, trees and agroforestry can mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts, as well as how to work inclusively with people—and secure finance—to achieve equitable progress in these arenas.

Our work is particularly aligned with this year’s focal areas, which include among other things protecting tropical forests, upping NDCs, involving Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) as equal partners and promoting agroforestry and nature-based solutions.

Follow our journey to Belém online—or, meet us there!

Under the theme “Accelerating global climate solutions: Financing for Africa’s resilient and green development”, the second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) provides a platform for stakeholders to advance Africa’s climate agenda and sustainable development priorities. Convened by the African Union and the Ethiopian Government, ACS-2 will highlight proven Africa-led climate solutions and bold efforts to re-green African landscapes.

CIFOR-ICRAF agenda | 8 September

This side event will highlight how Regreening Africa’s large-scale land restoration strengthens food security, advances climate adaptation and mitigation, and contributes to the implementation of the African Union Climate Strategy and the Great Green Wall (GGW) 2030 vision.

Through high-level dialogue with policymakers, researchers, grassroots voices, and technical experts, this event will explore tools to unlock scalable and equitable restoration for climate, biodiversity and resilient livelihoods – through investing in high-quality native tree seed and seedling systems, supporting locally driven restoration, channeling climate finance to grassroots actors, and fostering inclusive governance.

In this interactive cross-learning event, we tackle one of the world’s most urgent challenges: land degradation, which affects 30% of global land and 3.2 billion people – with Africa’s productive land among the hardest hit.

Together, we’ll explore Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) – a proven, low-cost, and scalable approach that revitalizes landscapes by harnessing the natural regrowth of trees, existing root systems, or seed banks. FMNR combines simple, farmer-led techniques with transformative shifts in land management and mindset.

Join a dynamic exchange with landscape practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders from multiple African countries across the Great Green Wall. This event blends expert insights with peer-to-peer learning through engaging breakout sessions and rich dialogue.

💡 Why This Event Matters

Despite proven effectiveness of FMNR, it remains underutilized within the Great Green Wall. Greater awareness is needed to strengthen its value proposition, inform policy frameworks, and scale up its implementation. Similarly, building technical capacity and promoting behaviour change are all critical to mainstreaming FMNR.

As a farmer and community-led approach, FMNR’s success depends on understanding the local context, costs, effectiveness, opportunities, constraints, and most importantly farmers’ needs and aspirations. Equally important is identifying complementary practices and innovations that can enhance FMNR’s effectiveness, accelerating both regeneration and adoption.

Note: This is an online event with French – English simultaneous translation.

🔍 What to Expect

By the end of this interactive gathering, participants will:

• Acquire and deepen their understanding of FMNR and its contribution to land restoration within the Great Green Wall.
• Obtain practical knowledge on FMNR technical implementation and strategies to enhance natural regeneration.
• Learn how to adapt and introduce FMNR in diverse contexts, aligning interventions with the priorities and aspirations of stakeholders.
• Exchange experiences and identify lessons, best practices, and opportunities for scaling up FMNR.
• Strengthen networks and foster collaboration among stakeholders engaged in FMNR, agroforestry, and related restoration approaches

👥 Who Should Attend

• Agroforestry and restoration scientists
• Policymakers and government agencies
• NGOs and development practitioners
• Farmer organizations and community leaders
• Donors and international development partners

The 11th FLARE Annual Meeting will be held October 23-27, 2025 in Lima, Peru. This year’s meeting will convene under the theme of forests and transformative change and will examine and assess the role of forests and those who rely on them for achieving transformative change.

Tropentag 2025 will explore how agricultural systems can adapt to global challenges while ensuring sus-tainable land use. Discussions will focus on balancing productivity and conservation, improving soil and water management, and integrating livestock, crops, and agroforestry into resilient farming landscapes. The conference will also examine the role of policies, market mechanisms, and knowledge transfer in fostering land-use systems that support both human and planetary health.

This September, Climate Week NYC returns to the City of New York.

It will bring together inspiring heads of government and leaders from the world of business, tech, academia, and civil society. Together, they’ll share ideas, challenge, create, collaborate, and energize.

The world is changing – and so is the way we talk about the action we need to take, the investments that are needed. These are incredibly important discussions to have.

Climate Week NYC 2025 will be a platform where some of the big challenges of our time are being discussed. How to stay competitive in a changing world, how to reduce costs and swiftly unlock barriers, where to spot opportunities, and the investments in clean tech that are powering shifts.