As natural systems endure extraordinary strain, acknowledging the people who champion significant progress has become vital to preserving life across the planet.The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity showcases these contributions and broadens their influence around the globe.
The global community continues striving to stop and reverse biodiversity loss while simultaneously confronting interconnected challenges, including climate change, food security, and human well-being. In this landscape, international recognition initiatives play an essential part in highlighting effective strategies, circulating knowledge, and motivating action across sectors and borders. One notable example is the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity, an international award devoted to acknowledging individuals whose efforts have produced a tangible impact on conserving and sustainably managing the planet’s biological diversity.
The nomination process for the 2026 edition of the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity is now underway, inviting the public to recommend individuals whose achievements reflect notable leadership, creative approaches, and lasting influence. Submissions can be made from 2 February to 31 March 2026 via the official platform of the AEON Environmental Foundation. By opening nominations to everyone, the Prize strengthens its dedication to openness and inclusivity, ensuring that meaningful contributions from a wide range of regions and fields gain recognition on the global stage.
A distinction crafted to bring biodiversity to the forefront of the global agenda
The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity was created to underscore the fundamental role that biodiversity plays in sustaining ecosystems and supporting human societies. Healthy biodiversity underpins food systems, regulates climate, protects water resources, and contributes to economic stability and cultural identity. Despite this, biodiversity loss has accelerated in recent decades, driven by habitat destruction, pollution, overexploitation of natural resources, and climate change.
Framed within this context, the Prize serves not only as an honor but also as a means to build awareness, highlighting significant individual initiatives that draw public interest through practical solutions and underscoring that committed leadership can achieve tangible environmental outcomes. By granting this recognition, the Prize helps bridge gaps between scientific understanding, policy development, and on-the-ground implementation, encouraging collaboration across diverse disciplines and sectors.
Since it was first established, the Prize has celebrated individuals whose contributions extend across numerous domains, ranging from scientific inquiry and community-driven conservation to policy advocacy and environmental education. This breadth underscores the understanding that safeguarding biodiversity cannot be accomplished through isolated initiatives, but instead relies on coordinated efforts that blend science, governance, and active public involvement.
Global cooperation stands at the core of the initiative
The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity is co-organized by the AEON Environmental Foundation and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This partnership brings together a philanthropic foundation with a global environmental governance body, ensuring that the Prize aligns with international biodiversity objectives while remaining grounded in real-world impact.
The Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted in 1992, provides the principal global framework for biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, and the fair sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources. Through its involvement, the CBD Secretariat helps position the MIDORI Prize within broader international efforts, linking individual achievements to collective global goals.
The 2026 Award Ceremony and Award Winners Forum are set to take place on 27 August 2026 in Tokyo, Japan, events expected to help build global momentum ahead of the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP 17), which is scheduled for Yerevan, Armenia. COP 17 will be organized under the theme “Taking action for Nature,” highlighting both implementation and accountability during a pivotal period for worldwide biodiversity commitments.
Recognizing excellence across multiple fields of action
A defining trait of the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity is its capacity to celebrate remarkable contributions across diverse sectors, and rather than focusing on just one field, the Prize acknowledges that substantial progress in biodiversity conservation stems from interconnected scientific, social, and political efforts.
Historically, award categories have included implementation, science and research, and policy and enlightenment. Implementation-focused recipients are often those who translate knowledge into action, delivering conservation outcomes through field projects, community engagement, or sustainable resource management. Science and research honorees contribute by advancing understanding of ecosystems, species, and ecological processes, providing the evidence base needed for informed decision-making. Policy and enlightenment awardees, meanwhile, play a critical role in shaping legislation, influencing governance frameworks, and raising public awareness.
This comprehensive approach reflects the intricate nature of biodiversity challenges and stresses that no single route can stand alone. By acknowledging accomplishments across these areas, the Prize fosters dialogue among sectors and underscores the importance of coordinated, integrated strategies.
A decade influenced by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
The relevance of the MIDORI Prize has grown in parallel with the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), agreed at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD in 2022. The Framework represents a global blueprint to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, setting out 23 action-oriented targets that address drivers of degradation while promoting sustainable use and equitable benefit-sharing.
Achieving the ambitions of the KMGBF requires a whole-of-society approach, involving governments, the private sector, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and individuals. The MIDORI Prize directly supports this vision by recognizing individuals who embody leadership and innovation in advancing these objectives. In doing so, it helps translate the Framework’s targets into visible examples of progress, making abstract goals more tangible and relatable.
As the 2030 deadline approaches, the urgency to scale meaningful solutions becomes increasingly clear, and recognition initiatives such as the MIDORI Prize can accelerate this momentum by highlighting successful strategies and encouraging their implementation in a wide range of contexts.
Shaping a heritage of far‑reaching global influence
Since it was established during the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010, the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity has recognized 21 individuals from 20 countries. This geographic diversity underscores the global nature of biodiversity challenges and the universal relevance of conservation efforts. From tropical forests and coral reefs to urban ecosystems and agricultural landscapes, the work of past recipients demonstrates that impactful action can take many forms.
The heritage of the Prize extends far beyond recognizing individuals, as its award ceremonies and associated forums open opportunities to share knowledge, form networks, and foster cooperation, enabling winners to reflect on their experiences and learn from one another. These exchanges help cultivate a global community of practice dedicated to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
Furthermore, public acknowledgment can boost an awardee’s profile and trustworthiness, helping them obtain funding, shape policy decisions, and grow their programs. In doing so, the Prize serves as a powerful driver that amplifies individual contributions and supports wider systemic transformation.
Community involvement and the selection process
By inviting nominations from members of the public, the MIDORI Prize reinforces the idea that biodiversity conservation is a shared responsibility. This open approach allows communities, organizations, and individuals to highlight work that might otherwise remain under-recognized, particularly in regions or sectors with limited visibility.
The nomination window for the 2026 Prize extends from 2 February to 31 March 2026, during which entries are evaluated using criteria that highlight measurable results, inventive approaches, and consistency with global biodiversity goals. By following this review process, the Prize aims to recognize individuals whose work provides meaningful insights and motivates others engaged in the same field.
Public engagement in the nomination process also serves an educational function, encouraging greater awareness of biodiversity issues and the people addressing them. By learning about potential nominees and their work, members of the public gain insight into the practical actions that support environmental sustainability.
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond
As global attention turns toward COP 17 and the ongoing implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, initiatives like the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity play an increasingly important role. They help maintain momentum, celebrate progress, and remind the international community that individual leadership remains a powerful driver of change.
The 2026 Award Ceremony and Award Winners Forum in Tokyo are anticipated to offer a space for thoughtful exchange and discussion at a crucial moment for biodiversity governance, and by bringing together award recipients, policymakers, scholars, and practitioners, these events will nurture shared insight and underscore the urgent importance of coordinated action.
Across the decade poised to define the planet’s biological diversity, recognizing and supporting those who set the benchmark becomes not just symbolic but a strategic pledge to the ideas, practices, and partnerships vital for safeguarding nature now and in the future. The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity stands as compelling proof of the impact that committed individuals can achieve when their work is acknowledged, amplified, and connected to global sustainability efforts.
