It’s another triple-COP year: that means the United Nations will be hosting global conferences on climate, biodiversity and land in 2026.
But there’s much more happening beyond closed-door meetings – and many more opportunities for you to grow your network at environmental and climate events throughout the year.
So here’s our list of the most important climate events in 2026, covering everything from rangelands to forest management to sustainable development.
Organizing an event? Get in touch to be featured on this list!
Where: Nairobi, Kenya, and online
When: 6–7 May 2026
Tickets: Available now!
Did you know that rangelands support 60 percent of the world’s food production?
They also cover 54 percent of the Earth’s land area and sustain the livelihoods of 1.2 billion people.
And if you’ve ever been hiking or camping, you know how crucial they are for tourism and conservation.
Despite their importance, you may not have even heard of these landscapes. In short, they’re lands that are grazed by livestock or wildlife and mainly stewarded by pastoralists.
And now is the time to talk about them, because half of the world’s rangelands are under threat from the climate crisis, conflict, mismanagement and underinvestment – putting these pastoral livelihoods at risk.
The UN has declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists – which is why GLF Africa will return with a special edition to put these often forgotten landscapes and communities on the map.
Where: Valencia, Spain
When: 23–27 March 2026
The second edition of the EFI Mediterranean Network Forum renews collaboration and invites new participation in EFIMED’s network connecting forest researchers, policymakers, and practitioners across the Mediterranean.
Where: Santa Marta, Colombia
When: 28–29 April 2026
Co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, this conference aims to advance international cooperation on transitioning away from fossil fuel extraction.
It will serve as a strategic space for dialogue among a broad range of stakeholders – including government representatives, experts, rural and Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant communities, civil society, climate advocates, industry leaders, and academia – to explore viable, fair, and equitable pathways for transitioning to sustainable, diversified and accessible energy.
Where: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
When: 17–28 August 2026
The UNCCD COP17 will bring together the 197 Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to accelerate action against desertification, land degradation and drought.
As one of the most affected countries by desertification, with nearly 77 percent of its land degraded, Mongolia will leverage COP17 to drive solutions for land restoration, sustainable land management and resilience-building across the world.
Stay tuned for our coverage of UNCCD COP17 here on ThinkLandscape.
Where: Rome, Italy
When: 9–10 September 2026
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.
Where: Yerevan, Armenia
When: 19–30 October 2026
Not to be confused with the UNCCD conference, this event will be the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It will also include meetings of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol.
Stay tuned for our coverage of the Biodiversity COP17 here on ThinkLandscape.
Where: Antalya, Turkey
When: 9–20 November 2026
The largest climate event of 2026 will be hosted by Turkey in the resort city of Antalya, with Australia leading the negotiations as part of an agreement between the two countries. There will also be a ‘pre-COP’ held in a Pacific island country, though the dates and host country have yet to be confirmed.
COP31 will build on the deal agreed at COP30 in 2025, which included a tripling of adaptation finance and a just transition mechanism, as well as “roadmaps” to transition away from fossil fuels and to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030.
Stay tuned for our coverage of COP31 here on ThinkLandscape.
Finally…
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