IUCN Leaders Forum – Call for Changemakers

IUCN is looking for the next group of young innovators advancing the global goals for nature

IUCN Leaders Forum Changemakers brings together young leaders and innovators who are designing or implementing innovative nature conservation or biodiversity action projects in their communities. Selected young changemakers will join leaders from around the world at the IUCN Leaders Forum in Geneva in October 2024 to showcase innovations for transformative change; discuss concrete actions that include nature at the nexus of energy systems, food and agriculture, and human health; and advance nature-positive solutions. Young changemakers will have an exclusive opportunity to pitch their initiatives to influential global leaders from the private sector, government and civil society.

Benefits for selected IUCN Leaders Forum Changemakers

• Delegate access to the IUCN Leaders Forum in Geneva, Switzerland from 8 to 10 October 2024
• An exclusive opportunity to pitch your environmental action project to influential global leaders from the private sector, government and civil society
• Hotel accommodation in Geneva from 7 to 11 October 2024
• Return travel to Geneva, Switzerland
• Meals and other expenses covered for the duration of stay in Geneva

Who should apply?

You should apply to be an IUCN Leaders Forum Changemaker if you:

• Are aged 18 – 35*.
• Have a track record of leadership and innovation in the fields of nature conservation, biodiversity, climate change and / or sustainable development.
• Are currently working on an innovative solution that addresses the nature, climate and biodiversity crises; and has nature at the nexus of one or more societal challenges (e.g. energy-nature-climate nexus; food-agriculture-nature-climate nexus; transforming urban landscapes for nature and people etc.)

We especially encourage candidates whose initiatives foster equity, inclusivity, intergenerational collaboration, and / or adopt a rights-based approach in the design and implementation of the project, to apply.

We are looking for a diverse pool of global changemakers to participate in the IUCN Leaders Forum. Youth from the Global South are strongly encouraged to apply, as are youth from minority groups, Indigenous peoples and local communities and young female leaders and innovators from around the world.

About the IUCN Leaders Forum

The IUCN Leaders Forum is an annual event, gathering leaders and changemakers from around the world, in-person, to discuss innovative solutions to critical global challenges, make bold commitments, build partnerships and catalyse action for impactful change in nature conservation and sustainability.

The inaugural IUCN Leaders Forum took place in Jeju Province, Republic of Korea, from 13 – 15 October 2022 and focussed on Building nature-positive economies and societies. The event brought together over 500 leaders and changemakers from national and subnational governments, the private sector, international organisations, and Indigenous and youth-led organisations.

The second edition of the IUCN Leaders Forum was held in Geneva, Switzerland in 2023, and focused on moving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted at the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP15) in December 2022, into action.

The third edition of the IUCN Leaders Forum will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, and virtually from 8 to 10 October 2024 with the theme: “Harnessing innovation, enabling conservation”.

Ahead of the three Rio Convention COPs at the end of the year, the IUCN Leaders Forum 2024 will offer a timely platform to highlight innovative solutions that address the triple planetary crisis and include nature at the nexus of energy systems, food and agriculture, and human health. Building on past editions, the event will provide an opportunity to take stock of progress made on innovations in monitoring, regulatory frameworks and reporting directives, and disclosure and accountability tools. Finally, the Forum will explore innovative financing to accelerate change including through scaling private sector finance, leveraging private philanthropy, repurposing subsidies and aligning climate and biodiversity funding to meet the global goals, including through emerging instruments such as biodiversity credits.

The IUCN Leaders Forum 2024 will focus on three primary objectives:

1. Convening influential and innovative leaders (government, private sector, civil society, sub-national authorities, Indigenous peoples’ organisations, other) with the aim of: facilitating dialogue and building trust across different groups; building relationships, new partnerships and alliances, identifying innovative collective, multi-stakeholder solutions to critical conservation and biodiversity challenges; and advancing the international environmental policy agenda;
2. Offering a platform for global leaders to convene annually in a safe space, to discuss existing and emerging environmental issues and trends, and to continue tracking, monitoring and evaluating progress to ensure nature remains front and centre as countries work towards the 2030 targets and beyond;
3. Creating a networking opportunity for young changemakers who are designing or implementing innovative environmental action projects, to connect with potential collaborators from the public and private sectors to further develop their projects

Application Process

IUCN Leaders Forum Changemakers will be selected by IUCN from a shortlist created by One Young World. Please complete the application form linked below to be considered for One Young World’s shortlist.

*The One Young World team will consider applications from those who are older than 35, pending demonstration of appropriate personal impact, initiative, and willingness to engage. We are not able to accept applications from those who will be aged under 18 at the time of the IUCN Leaders Forum.