Land, life and tech: What the 2026 nature COPs mean for the tech and digital sector

The session will inform members what was agreed at both COPs, speak to the role of technology in understanding and delivering on international objectives, and look ahead to what to expect at the upcoming Climate COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, via two short presentations and a discussion with speakers with audience Q&A at the end.

The discussion will cover:

• What came out of the negotiations, and what failed to materialise

• How technology is enabling delivery of COP objectives

• What tech companies should be aware of, or look out for

• Opportunities to implement post-COP enabling policies and practices for the UK

Desertification COP (UNCCD)

17–28 August 2026, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The theme of this year's Desertification COP was Restoring Land, Restoring Hope. The land convention agreed a drought policy framework and a roadmap for its post-2030 strategy, with a strong focus on rangelands and restoration finance.

Drought negotiations roll over to COP18, and most of the US$1.3 billion finance portfolio announced is not yet confirmed.

Biodiversity COP17

19–30 October 2026, Yerevan, Armenia

This is the second COP since the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was adopted and the first to carry out a global review of collective progress against its 23 targets and took the theme of Taking Action for Nature.

Finance, digital sequence information and the Cali Fund, and the links between biodiversity, health and climate are the items most likely to shape business expectations.