What does it take for a country to turn Earth observation and remote sensing data into evidence decision-makers can act on?

As countries work to report progress against the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets, a persistent gap remains between the data now available and its translation into actionable insights.

Drawing on the experience of COP17 host country Armenia in developing its national ecosystems map, this session will give participants a shared, practical understanding of the full chain, from raw observation to policy-relevant evidence, building bridges between technical expertise and decision-making needs.

The conversation will bring together technical and policy perspectives to examine what makes Earth observation data trustworthy, how data products can be converted into indicators that are comparable across countries, and how national governments use these indicators to update NBSAPs, track GBF targets, and direct resources where they are most needed.

How can countries turn national data into ecosystem indicators they can actually report against? This event will identify paths towards improving the compilation of the headline indicators related to ecosystems in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), so that by the 8th national reports, all Parties are in a position to use and report on these indicators.

Consistent ecosystem indicators can provide a well-rounded picture of efforts to sustain ecosystems and the services they provide (headline indicator B.1), such as how threatened they are (A.1), how much remains (A.2), is protected (3.1) and is being restored (2.1), at national scales and for groups of ecosystems globally (e.g. coral reefs or tropical rainforests). These indicators have many common foundational data needs, providing opportunities for synergistic investment in data that will be valuable across sectors.

This event will explore practical solutions, partners and funding mechanisms to help fill data and knowledge gaps for ecosystems, to support GBF reporting and implementation.

Through panel discussions, short presentations and Q&A, the event will introduce the indicators, take stock of challenges faced in the 7th national reports, and set out concrete proposals for overcoming those challenges. It will close by looking at the partners and funding mechanisms that can help countries develop these indicators ahead of the 8th national reports.

How do diverse national datasets, satellite observations and advances in AI become trusted, decision-ready ecosystem intelligence? This session takes participants inside the technical architecture of the Global Ecosystems Atlas and the partnerships making it possible.

The Atlas Technical Consortium brings together Ai2, ESA, Esri, Google and IUCN with the GEO Secretariat and James Cook University, combining complementary capabilities across the full ecosystem-mapping workflow - from standards, training data and foundation models to harmonisation, cloud infrastructure, validation and open access.

Through a fast-paced technical deep dive, partners will demonstrate how these contributions connect: Ai2’s OlmoEarth Earth-observation foundation models and platform; ESA’s WEED toolbox, national mapping and cross-referencing work; Esri’s geoprocessing and data-distribution infrastructure; and IUCN’s Global Ecosystem Typology and scientific standards.

The session will show how this integrated workflow turns fragmented ecosystem data into an open, interoperable global resource, while inviting technical teams, mapping agencies and data partners to help shape the Global Ecosystems Atlas as it moves from ecosystem extent mapping towards monitoring change and condition.

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What does it take for a country to build a trusted, nationally owned ecosystem map - and what becomes possible once it has one? This session takes a practical deep dive into the Maldives, the first National Accelerator of the Global Ecosystems Atlas, launched through a partnership between the Maldives Ministry of Environment and the Group on Earth Observations, supported by the United Kingdom through Defra.

Representatives from the Maldives, the Global Ecosystems Atlas and partners will walk through how the country developed its national ecosystem map, harmonised with the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology, combining national expertise with Earth observation data, open methods and targeted technical support. The discussion will explore what the process required in practice, the challenges encountered, and how the resulting ecosystem intelligence can support national reporting, spatial and marine planning, conservation and restoration, and better-targeted investment.

The session will then look beyond the Maldives at what elements of the National Accelerator can be replicated elsewhere, how national capacity can be strengthened, and what's needed to help more countries move from fragmented ecosystem information to operational, nationally owned mapping.

With the approach now extending to Papua New Guinea, the Maldives offers a concrete demonstration of how the Global Ecosystems Atlas can translate global methods into practical country delivery.

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COP17 will set the stage for the first, comprehensive Global Review – a critical litmus test of collective progress of action for biodiversity. The IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment, published in early 2026, affirmed that all businesses depend on and impact biodiversity and can be agents of positive change. This is recognized in the Target 15 of the KMGBF, and the positioning of the KMGBF as a whole-of-society framework.

The IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment also highlighted that while there already is sufficient data for businesses to start taking action on biodiversity, many data gaps remain. How can public data on biodiversity become more accessible for business use? And how does corporate information in turn help implement and monitor countries' progress on NBSAPs?

This event will showcase case studies of successful data collaborations between public and private sector, which are helping to accelerate progress on NBSAP implementation and support the private sector with trusted, high quality data on ecosystems and species. Global Ecosystems Atlas, GBIF and CDP will share lessons from building pioneering collaborations on data. 

Improving the availability and accessibility of biodiversity data for business is an important catalyst to scale the number of companies monitoring, disclosing and taking action on biodiversity. Providers and aggregators of biodiversity data for private sector use need clarity on requirements that data needs to meet to effectively support business users and their disclosures. In 2025, TNFD published a first version of their Nature Data Principles for state of nature data used in corporate assessments and disclosure, building on existing data principles such as FAIR, CARE, Open Data Charter or TDWG for GBIF. This session will convene a discussion on opportunities and challenges in building a consensus on a common set of principles for biodiversity data used by the private sector, and how this could support progress on the KMGBF Target 15. 

Financial institutions increasingly recognise that nature loss and climate change are interconnected drivers of physical risk. However, understanding where risks occur is only the first step. To make effective investment, financing and insurance decisions, organisations also need to understand the ecosystems that underpin resilience and provide critical services such as flood regulation, water security and climate adaptation.

This session will explore how ecosystem extent data can be combined to integrate nature insights into climate risk modelling to drive better decision-making across banking, insurance and investment portfolios. Bringing together leaders from finance, data platforms and nature science, the discussion will examine how improved ecosystem information can strengthen physical risk assessments, reveal the value of ecosystem services from different ecosystems, and help identify and prioritise investments in nature-based solutions.

Through practical examples, including efforts to model and then reduce flood risk through landscape-scale nature restoration, speakers will demonstrate how translating biodiversity and ecosystem data into actionable insights can help move from risk identification to real-world resilience outcomes.

The session will highlight the growing role of ecosystem data in supporting risk management, investment decisions and progress towards global biodiversity and climate goals, while addressing broader challenges around data availability, usability and decision relevance.

Convened by GEO alongside the CBD Secretariat and IUCN, this event will bring together governments, the private sector, and academia to examine gaps in ecosystem monitoring identified through the Global Review of progress under the KMGBF and explore how the Global Ecosystems Atlas can help address them. The session will showcase progress in developing the Atlas, demonstrate its applications for ecosystem management, conservation, monitoring and policymaking, and explore opportunities for further collaboration and partnership.

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