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 to seek effective ways to halt and reverse biodiversity loss while addressing interconnected challenges such as climate change, food security, and human well-being. Within this context, international recognition initiatives play a crucial role in elevating successful approaches, sharing knowledge, and inspiring action across sectors and borders. One such initiative is the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity, an international award dedicated to honoring individuals whose work has made a measurable difference in the conservation and sustainable use of 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.
An honor designed to elevate biodiversity to a prominent place 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.
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 its inception, the Prize has honored individuals whose work spans a wide spectrum of fields, from scientific research and community-led conservation to environmental education and policy advocacy, reflecting the recognition that protecting biodiversity cannot be achieved through isolated actions but depends on coordinated efforts that unite science, governance, and engaged public participation.
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 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, these award categories have covered practical execution, scientific inquiry, and both policy development and public education. Individuals honored for implementation are usually those who transform knowledge into real-world action, delivering conservation outcomes through on-the-ground projects, partnerships with local communities, or responsible resource stewardship. Recipients recognized for science and research deepen insight into ecosystems, species, and ecological processes, providing the evidence needed to guide informed decisions. At the same time, those acknowledged for policy and enlightenment play an essential role in crafting legislation, shaping governance, and elevating public understanding.
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 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 its creation during the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010, the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity has honored 21 individuals representing 20 countries, reflecting the worldwide scope of biodiversity issues and the shared importance of conservation. Spanning tropical rainforests, coral reef habitats, urban environments, and farmland, the achievements of previous recipients show that meaningful progress can emerge through many different approaches.
The legacy of the Prize reaches well beyond honoring individuals, as its award ceremonies and related forums create spaces for exchanging knowledge, building networks, and encouraging collaboration, allowing winners to discuss their experiences and learn from each other. Such interactions nurture a worldwide community of practice committed 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 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 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 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.
Anticipating 2026 and the years ahead
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.
Over the decade that will shape the planet’s biological diversity, acknowledging and empowering those who set the standard is not merely symbolic but a strategic commitment to the ideas, methods, and alliances essential for protecting nature today and in the years ahead. The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity serves as clear evidence of the influence dedicated individuals can exert when their contributions are recognized, elevated, and linked to global sustainability initiatives.
