Event

SEI at the UN Biodiversity Conference COP17

Name: SEI at the UN Biodiversity Conference COP17
Start: 2026-10-19T08:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-30T17:00:00+01:00

19 to 30 October 2026

Yerevan, Armenia

Meridian Expo and Event Centre

Event contacts

Jonathan Green / jonathan.green@sei.orgMaria Sköld / maria.skold@sei.org

Graphic: CBD.

With “Taking Action for Nature” as its official theme, COP17 is expected to focus primarily on topics related to the implementation and financing of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022. Another priority, announced by the COP17 presidency, is different aspects of inclusion.

High on the agenda is the first-ever global review of collective progress so far, based on what countries have reported in their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). The conference will discuss the results as well as how continued monitoring should be conducted. It will also follow up on decisions taken at COP16.

SEI will be present with a delegation of experts, while additional researchers will support the process from other locations. Through side events, presentations, discussions and guidance to delegations, we will share insights on how best to advance biodiversity action.

SEI will especially highlight:

The role of science-based biodiversity and climate action.
How healthy ecosystems build climate resilience.
New opportunities linked to the growing bioeconomy.
How to address the biodiversity impact of trade and consumption.
Valuable lessons from Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Thanks to a strong presence in the region, SEI has worked closely with local actors during the preparations for COP17. During the conference, SEI will share insights from its flagship Green Agenda for Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine program.

Explore the tabs above to learn more about SEI’s participation at CBD COP17, register for events and gain expert insights into the conference’s key priorities and why they matter for advancing global biodiversity action.

Media contacts

In Yerevan:

Ilona Kazaryan, [email protected], +46 72 219 96 43

In Stockholm:

Ulrika Lamberth, [email protected], +46 73 801 70 53

Women leadership at the intersection of biodiversity and climate resilience and security

Women play a vital role in biodiversity conservation yet remain underrepresented in environmental decision-making and natural resource governance, due to structural barriers and limited access to formal policy spaces. This side event will explore how women’s leadership contributes to more inclusive and accountable environmental governance and effective CBD implementation globally.

Date and time: 22 October 2026 at 10.00 am

Venue: Nordic Pavilion, Meridian Expo and Event Centre (Blue Zone)

Organizers: The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), OSCE, FemForward NGO

SEI speaker: Amila Alidžanović

Scaling nature-based aquaculture for biodiversity and climate resilience

The event will explore the potential of scaling nature-based aquaculture approaches in a manner that simultaneously supports biodiversity, climate resilience and human well-being.

Date and time: 24 October 2026, 08h15 – 11h30

Venue: Ani Plaza Hotel (Dvin Hall), Yerevan, Armenia

Organizers: IISD, WorldFish, International Development Research Centre, Canada (IDRC), Chiang Mai University

Keynote speaker: Eeva Primmer, Executive Director SEI

Trade, biodiversity and climate in a changing world order: unlocking competitiveness, regional integration, and market access for biobased products and services

This session explores ways to develop sustainable and scalable bioeconomy markets, anchored in local ecosystems, decentralized processing and biodiversity-based value chains. The concept offers an opportunity to better align trade, biodiversity and climate agendas. The event and discussion draw on various recent initiatives and projects, including the SEI Bioeconomy initiative.

Date and time: 28 October 2026, 18.15

Venue: Meridian Expo and Event Centre, Yerevan. Spitak, side event room 2.

Organizers: SEI, Ministry of Environment & Climate Change of Brazil, the Bioeconomy Challenge, NatureFinance, UNCTAD, WTO

SEI speaker: Francis X Johnson

Nature-based solutions in Armenia for biodiversity and resilient communities – launching a new partnership between Armenia, IUCN and Sweden

Join us for the launch of Advancing nature-based solutions in Armenia for biodiversity and resilient communities. This new partnership between Armenia, Sweden, and IUCN will support the acceleration of nature-based Solutions (NbS) in Armenia, delivering tangible outcomes for local communities while also contributing to Armenia’s national commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The discussion will be enriched with examples and case studies, including from SEI’s Green Agenda for Armenia, Moldova, and Ukraine project.

Date and time: 28 October 2026 at 9.00-9.45 AMT

Venue: Nordic Pavilion (Blue Zone)

Organizers: SEI, Embassy of Sweden to Armenia, IUCN

SEI speaker: Eeva Primmer, Executive Director SEI

From waste to nature: building a nature-positive waste transition

How can the transformation of waste systems contribute to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework? This session explores how the global biodiversity crisis is closely linked to how we extract, use and dispose of natural resources. Bringing together Swedish, Armenian and international perspectives, the panelists will focus on practical solutions spanning policy, technology, circular value chains, financing and implementation.

Date and time: 28 October 2026 at 14:00-15:00 AMT

Venue: Nordic Pavilion (Blue Zone)

Organizer: SEI

Moderator: Saša Solujić, SEI

SEI speakers: Eeva Primmer and Tomas Thernström

Aligning ambition on KMGBF Target 16: building coordinated national policies and footprint indicators

SEI’s Jonathan Green will contribute to a by-invitation-only event that explores the important role of trade and consumption as the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss accelerate. According to the draft Global Review, few countries have taken concrete steps when it comes to Target 16 of the Global Biodiversity Framework. The event therefore will therefore highlight possible actions, including robust, science-based methodologies, like SEI’s tool Trase.

Organizers: Ministry of the Environment of the Netherlands, Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), and WWF International.

SEI experts at COP17

We welcome you to connect with SEI experts on-site in Yerevan or online. Visit the links below on for contact details.

Eeva Primmer, Executive Director

Areas of expertise: As Executive Director of SEI, Eeva Primmer is directing, organizing and delegating the work of the Institute through its headquarters in Stockholm and seven centres around the world. In addition to having been an adjunct professor in Environmental Policy, she has long experience from international science–policy processes, including as a Bureau Member of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and a Panel Member of the UNEP International Resource Panel (IRP).

Jonathan Green, Senior Research Fellow

Areas of expertise: Jonathan Green‘s research focus is the impact of trade, consumption and diets on biodiversity; how to assess value chains and trade related to deforestation and agriculture, including the Trase platform; nature-based solutions; the alignment between different sustainability agendas. He has contributed to the work of the Global Environmental Indicators of Consumption (GEIC), a component indicator for Target 16 of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Carly Evaeus, Fellow

Areas of expertise: Carly Evaeus is team lead for the Development Policy and Finance Team and a member of the Finance for Sustainable Development Program. Her work includes the Mobilizing private investment for climate and nature project which explores what business models and financing instruments make privately financed nature/biodiversity projects viable in low and lower-middle-income countries.

Francis X. Johnson

Areas of expertise: Francis X. Johnson is Senior Research Fellow at SEI HQ in Stockholm on the Agriculture, Land and Bioeconomy Team. He has more than 30 years of experience in socio-economic and environmental analysis on energy transitions, climate policy, land/biomass use, and bioeconomy pathways.

Amila Alidžanović, Research Associate

Areas of expertise: Amila Alidžanović is a Research Associate at SEI Headquarters, working within the Environmental Policy & Strategy (EPS) Team and its Green Agenda for Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine project.

Ilona Kazaryan, Senior Communications and Impact Officer

Areas of expertise: Ilona Kazaryan has extensive experience in international policy communication and is currently the communications lead for the Green Agenda for Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine project. She is proficient in English, Georgian, Russian, Macedonian, and Armenian.

Saša Solujić, Senior Project Manager

Areas of expertise: Saša Solujić leads the the Environmental Policy and Strategy team at SEI Headquarters, which manages the Green Agenda for Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine project. Furthermore, she leads the project Sustainable Transition in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Tomas Thernström, Senior Expert

Areas of expertise: Tomas Thernström is senior expert in circular economy and waste management. At SEI, he leads strategic initiatives and provides expert guidance on sustainable solutions for resource use, waste reduction, and circular systems.

Media contacts

In Yerevan:

Ilona Kazaryan, [email protected], +46 72 219 96 43

In Stockholm:

Ulrika Lamberth, [email protected], +46 73 801 70 53

Eeva Primmer at Escuela Páramo, Colombia.

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12 October 2026 / About Ecosystems, Food and agriculture, Innovation and Sanitation

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Five reasons to elevate biodiversity before COP17

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Media briefing 13 October: SEI experts highlight the key topics to watch at biodiversity COP17

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