Watch sessions: Global Nature Positive Summit

Catch up on the various sessions and key conversations that featured during the second Global Nature Positive Summit held in Kumamoto, Japan on 14-15 July 2026.

The title links below will take you to recordings of the sessions on YouTube.

Day 1: July 14, 2026

01. Cultural Opening

Performance by Kumamoto Municipal Hitsuyukan Senior High School Taiko Drum Club.

02. Opening Ceremony

Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Global Nature Positive Summit.

Speeches from;

  • Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, Imperial House of Japan
  • Kazufumi Onishi, Mayor of Kumamoto City
  • Hirotaka Ishihara, Minister of Environment, Japan (recorded message)
  • Doi Kentaro, Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, Japan
  • Yasushi Kaneko, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (recorded message)
  • Murray Watt, Minister for the Environment and Water of Australia (recorded message)
  • Hambardzum Matevosyan, Minister of Environment, Republic of Armenia (recorded message)
  • Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity
  • Claude Gascon, Interim CEO, Global Environment Facility (GEF)
  • André Hoffmann, Vice Chairman, Roche Holdings, Co-Chair, World Economic Forum, Co-Founder, InTent (recorded message)
  • Yoshinobu Tsutsui, Chairman of Keidanren, Executive Advisor, Nippon Life Insurance Company (recorded message)

03. Introduction to Nature Positive

An overview of what Nature Positive means, why it is crucial to address the biodiversity crisis, and how it can be delivered in practice across sectors and geographies.

Keynote speeches from:

  • Marco Lambertini, Convener and Executive Chair, Nature Positive Initiative
  • Pedro Conceição, Director of the Human Development Report Office, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

04. The Business and Social Case for Nature Positive

Exploring the value proposition of a nature-positive transition for economies and societies, including resilience, competitiveness and wellbeing.

Moderator:

  • Mark Gough, CEO, Capitals Coalition

Panelists:

  • Grethel Aguilar, Director General, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
  • Kazufumi Onishi, Mayor of Kumamoto City
  • Jun Asaki, Managing Executive Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Suntory Holdings
  • Yoshihisa Kasahara, President and Representative Director, Higo Bank
  • Shinichiro Funabiki, CEO, MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.

05. The Role of Business

Exploring how companies can drive nature-positive transitions through strategy, operations, value chains and innovation, and why business leadership is essential.

Moderator

  • Pallavi Kalita, Asia Lead, Business for Nature, Conservation Int’l APAC

Panelists

  • Toshiro Mitsuyoshi, CEO, Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.
  • Taro Kitabayashi, Representative Director and President, Chief Executive Officer, Norinchukin Bank
  • Dave Harris, Managing Director and CEO, Australian Agricultural Company
  • Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Ltd.
  • Junro Ito, Representative Director & Executive Chair, Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd.

06 Fireside Chat Nature Positive Leadership

Exploring how companies can drive nature-positive transitions through strategy, operations, value chains and innovation, and why business leadership is essential.

Moderator

  • Marco Lambertini, Convener and Executive Chair, Nature Positive Initiative

Panelists

  • Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, Imperial House of Japan
  • Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity

07 The Role of Finance: Aligning financial systems and real economy actors for a Nature+ transition

Examining how financial institutions, investors and insurers can shift capital flows toward nature-positive outcomes and manage nature-related risks and opportunities.

Moderator

  • Butch Bacani, Head of Insurance, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Panelists

  • Yukiko Sakai, CSO, Daiichi Life Group, Inc.
  • Hiroshi Komori, Board Member, International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)
  • Deborah Halberstadt, Special Advisor to the Commissioner on Biodiversity and Inclusive insurance at the California Department of Insurance, State Government of California
  • Hiroyuki Isono, President & CEO, Oji Holdings

08 Nature Positive Corporate Strategies

How organisations can design and implement credible and effective nature-positive strategies, from commitments and targets to delivery and accountability.

Moderator

  • Tony Goldner, CEO, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

Panelists

  • Shougo Ohishi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Managing Executive Officer, Meiji Holdings
  • Naoya Okada, Executive Officer HR and Sustainability, AEON
  • Yumi Nakano, Operating Officer, Sustainability Promotion Department, Corporate Communication Department, Tokyu Land Corporation
  • Stuart Anstee, Director, Nature Positive Landscapes Initiative
  • Shinichiro Kashima, Managing Executive Officer, CSO, Nippon Life Insurance Company

09 Nature Positive, Net Zero and Circularity

Examining the interlinkages between nature-positive action, climate mitigation and adaptation, and circular economy approaches.

Moderator

  • Eleanor Whittle, Founder and Managing Director, Alopias Earth

Panelists

  • Yuji Saito, Representative Director, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Japan Airlines (JAL)
  • Mika Nabeshima, Managing Executive Officer, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Tokio Marine Holdings
  • Franck Gbaguidi, Managing Director, Global Sustainability, Eurasia Group
  • Marielle Canter Weikel, VP Corporate Partnerships, Conservation International

10. Fireside Chat: Inspiring Landscape & Community-centred Nature Positive Action

This session will explore successful governmental integration of Nature Positive actions.

Moderator

  • Satya Tripathi, Secretary-General, Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet

Panelists

  • N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh, India (recorded message)
  • Takashi Kimura, Governor, Kumamoto Prefecture
  • Mher Margaryan, Special Envoy, Head of Negotiating Team for CBD COP 17, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia

Day 2: July 15, 2026

11. Measuring Nature Positive

Official opening of the Summit with welcome remarks from organisers and distinguished guests, setting the vision and ambition for advancing the Nature Positive agenda globally.

Moderator

  • Gavin Edwards, Executive Director, Nature Positive Initiative

Panelists

  • Grazielle Parenti, Executive Vice President Sustainability, Vale
  • Kenta Oshima, General Manager, CSV Strategy Department, Kirin
  • Yuki Isaka, Senior Director, Head of Sustainability Dept., Sekisui House
  • Yana Gevorgyan, Convener and Director, Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Secretariat
  • Joe Miller, Executive Secretary, GBIF – Global Biodiversity Information Facility

12. Interoperability of Standards, Measurement & Guidance Frameworks for Nature Positive Outcomes

This session aims at highlighting the growing collaboration and interoperability occurring among the world’s leading framework bodies to prove how guidance is converging to provide clarity and build business confidence.

Moderator

  • Alexis Gazzo, Global Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader, EY

Panelists

  • Tony Goldner, CEO, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures
  • Mark Gough, CEO, Capitals Coalition
  • Hirotaka Hideshima, Fellow, Daiichi Life Group
  • Clea Kaske-Kuck, Director, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, WBCSD
  • Tomoo Machiba, Vice chair of the Global Sustainability Standards Board, Global Reporting Initiative
  • Adam Stingemore, Chief Development Officer, Standards Australia

13 Nature Positive Technology and Innovation

Exploring technological innovation and digital solutions that support the delivery, measurement and scaling of nature-positive action.

Moderator

  • Lee Howell, Executive Director, The Villars Institute

Panelists

  • Hidetoshi Tahara, Sustainability Advisory Leader, Senior Officer, Partner, PwC
  • Shinichiro Ide, Corporate SVP and CBXO, NEC
  • Ted Schmitt, Senior Director of Conservation, Ai2
  • Satya Tripathi, Secretary-General, Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet
  • Yusuke Sato, General manager, Sustainability Department, Umios

14. Fireside Chat: Political & Economic Headwinds

A conversation on whether current geopolitical, economic and political challenges are slowing or reshaping progress toward Nature Positive.

Moderator

  • Marco Lambertini, Convener and Executive Chair, Nature Positive Initiative

Panelists

  • Paul Polman, Business leader, investor, philanthropist, Net Positive
  • Naoko Ishii, President’s Special Envoy for the Global Commons, The University of Tokyo

15. Nature Positive Infrastructure in Land and Seascapes

Defining what nature-positive infrastructure means in practice and how it can be delivered by involving business, finance, local governments and communities across land and seascapes.

Moderator

  • Helen Crowley, Director of Strategy, Nature Positive Landscapes Initiative

Panelists

  • Yoko Watanabe, Director, Nature and Environment, Asian Development Bank (recorded message)
  • Yutaka Yamashita, Department Manager, Management Strategy Planning Headquarters, Sustainability Coord dept., Daiwa House
  • Chisato Onda, Executive Officer, General Manager of Sustainability Management Promotion Department, Mitsui & Co
  • Masayuki Takanashi, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Sumito Mitsui Banking Corporation
  • Kayoko Sakai, Chief Culture Officer & Chief Sustainability Officer, Sompo Japan Insurance
  • Jingyu Gao, Economist, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

16. Nature Positive in the Ocean

Exploring what Nature Positive means in the ocean context and how ocean-positive outcomes can be achieved through policy, finance and innovation.

Moderator

  • Hanh Nguyen, Ocean Industries Lead, World Economic Forum

Panelists

  • Chizuru Aoki, Manager, Conventions and Funds Division, Global Environment Facility (GEF)
  • Yuko Tsutsui, Managing Executive Officer, Chief Executive of Sustainability & Transformation, Nippon Yusen Kaisha
  • Adam Brennan, Chief Sustainability and Communication Officer, Thai Union Group
  • Akihiko Nishi, General Manager of the Sustainability Department,
    Nissui
  • Wakao Hanaoka, Founder & CEO, Seafood Legacy

17. Fireside Chat: From Global Treaties to Local Action for an Ocean-Positive Economy and Society

Moderator

  • Masanori Kobayashi, Senior Research Fellow, Ocean Policy Research Institute, Sasakawa Peace Foundation

Panelists

  • Rakeshni Lata, Training and Capacity Building Officer for Nature-based Solutions (NbS) , Pacific Community (SPC)
  • Mahesh Pradhan, Coordinator of the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA)
  • Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean (recorded message)

 

18 Closing Ceremony

Summary of key messages and outcomes of the Summit, closing reflections and next steps for advancing Nature Positive globally.

Moderator

  • Kaori Fujita, Professor, Green Goals Initiative and Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University (w/ Nikkei BP)

Panelists

  • Yoshiro Takamoto, Representative Director and Deputy President, Higo Bank
  • Paul Polman, Business leader, investor, philanthropist, Net Positive
  • Mher Margaryan, Special Envoy, Head of Negotiating Team for CBD COP 17, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
  • Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity
  • Marco Lambertini, Convener and Executive Chair, Nature Positive Initiative
  • Teppei Dohke, Chair, Japan Committee for IUCN, IUCN Japan