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 prize designed to elevate biodiversity on the global agenda
The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity was created to underscore the vital role biodiversity plays in sustaining resilient ecosystems and supporting human life. Strong biodiversity underpins food systems, moderates climate patterns, protects water resources, and enhances both economic prosperity and cultural traditions. Nevertheless, biodiversity decline has accelerated in recent years, driven by habitat degradation, pollution, the overuse of natural resources, and the effects of climate change.
Set against this context, the Prize functions not only as an accolade but also as a vehicle for raising awareness, showcasing notable individual efforts to capture public attention with practical responses and emphasizing that dedicated leadership can deliver concrete environmental results. Through its recognition, the Prize narrows the divide between scientific insight, policy formation, and real-world action, fostering cooperation among different fields and sectors.
Since its inception, the Prize has honored individuals whose work spans a wide range of fields, from scientific research and community-based conservation to policy advocacy and environmental education. This diversity reflects an understanding that biodiversity conservation cannot be achieved through isolated efforts, but requires coordinated action that integrates science, governance, and societal engagement.
At the heart of the initiative lies a commitment to worldwide collaboration
The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity is jointly presented by the AEON Environmental Foundation and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a partnership that brings together a philanthropic organization and a key authority in global environmental governance to ensure the Prize aligns with international biodiversity objectives while remaining firmly rooted in practical, real‑world results.
The Convention on Biological Diversity, created in 1992, stands as the primary global framework that directs biodiversity conservation, encourages sustainable use, and ensures fair sharing of benefits from genetic resources, and through its involvement, the CBD Secretariat positions the MIDORI Prize within broader international efforts, linking individual achievements to collective global goals.
The 2026 Award Ceremony and Award Winners Forum will be held on 27 August 2026 in Tokyo, Japan, gatherings anticipated to strengthen global momentum prior to the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP 17), scheduled to convene in Yerevan, Armenia. COP 17 will take place under the theme “Taking action for Nature,” emphasizing practical delivery and accountability at a crucial moment for worldwide biodiversity commitments.
Honoring remarkable accomplishments spanning a wide array of pursuits
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, the award categories have encompassed implementation, science and research, as well as policy and enlightenment. Recipients recognized for implementation are typically those who turn knowledge into practical efforts, achieving conservation results through field initiatives, community collaboration, or sustainable resource management. Honorees in science and research enhance understanding of ecosystems, species, and ecological dynamics, offering the evidence required for sound decision-making. Meanwhile, awardees in policy and enlightenment play a pivotal part in shaping legislation, influencing governance structures, and heightening public awareness.
This holistic approach mirrors the complexity of biodiversity challenges and reinforces the idea that no single pathway is sufficient on its own. By celebrating achievements across these domains, the Prize encourages cross-sector dialogue and highlights the value of integrated strategies.
A decade defined by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
The importance of the MIDORI Prize has grown consistently as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) gained adoption, a plan ratified at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD in 2022. This Framework functions as a global guide intended to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, presenting 23 actionable targets that address the primary drivers of ecological damage 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 draws nearer, the need to expand impactful solutions grows more evident, and recognition programs like the MIDORI Prize can help speed this progress by spotlighting effective approaches and motivating their adoption across diverse settings.
Forging a legacy with a profound impact across the globe
Since it was established during the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010, the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity has celebrated 21 individuals from 20 countries, underscoring the global nature of biodiversity challenges and the collective value of conservation. Covering tropical rainforests, coral reefs, urban landscapes, and agricultural lands, the work of past laureates illustrates that substantial advances can arise through a wide variety of strategies.
The legacy of the Prize extends beyond individual recognition. Award ceremonies and associated forums provide opportunities for knowledge exchange, networking, and collaboration, enabling winners to share experiences and learn from one another. These interactions help foster a global community of practice dedicated to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
Moreover, publicly recognizing an awardee can elevate their reputation and credibility, enabling them to secure funding, influence policy choices, and expand their initiatives. Through this recognition, the Prize becomes a potent catalyst that magnifies personal achievements and fosters broader systemic change.
Community involvement and the selection process
By seeking nominations directly from the public, the MIDORI Prize strengthens the notion that caring for biodiversity is a collective duty, enabling communities, organizations, and individuals to bring forward efforts that might otherwise go unnoticed, especially in areas or fields where recognition is limited.
The nomination period for the 2026 Prize runs from 2 February to 31 March 2026. Submissions are reviewed according to criteria that emphasize tangible impact, innovation, and alignment with global biodiversity objectives. Through this process, the Prize seeks to identify individuals whose contributions offer valuable lessons and inspiration for others working in the field.
Public participation in the nomination process also plays an educational role, fostering broader understanding of biodiversity challenges and the individuals working to tackle them. As people explore prospective nominees and their efforts, they gain a clearer view of the practical initiatives that reinforce environmental sustainability.
Looking forward to 2026 and the years that follow
As global attention turns to COP 17 and the ongoing implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, initiatives like the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity gain even deeper relevance, maintaining progress, showcasing key accomplishments, and reaffirming to the international community that individual leadership remains a potent driver of meaningful change.
The 2026 Award Ceremony and Award Winners Forum in Tokyo are expected to provide a platform for reflection and dialogue at a pivotal moment for biodiversity governance. By bringing together awardees, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, these events will contribute to shared learning and reinforce the urgency 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.
