2026 in the environment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2026 in the environment is a list of significant environmental events, initiatives, policy milestones, and related meetings that occurred (or are scheduled to occur) in 2026.
Events
January
- 5 January – 13 February – Nominations period for experts to participate in the Open-Ended Online Forum on Synthetic Biology (Convention on Biological Diversity process).[1]
- 6 January – Lisima Lya Mwono in Angola recognized as Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance.[2][3]
- 17 January – The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (the BBNJ Agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty) enters into force.[4]
- 19 January – Nature reserve "Jistebnické mokřady" established in Poodří Protected Landscape Area, Czechia.[5]
- 25 January – One-day stakeholder meeting in Dakar, Senegal, held in connection with preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference.[6]
- 26–27 January – High-level preparatory meeting for the 2026 UN Water Conference held in Dakar, Senegal (co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates).[6]
February
- 4 February
- Black coal mining ends in Czechia after nearly 250 years.[7]
- Barnebey Woods in Owen County, Indiana, US, designated as the state's newest nature preserve. The upland forest area is owned and managed by Sycamore Land Trust.[8][9]
- 23 February – 6 March – Open-Ended Online Forum on Synthetic Biology (Convention on Biological Diversity process).[10]
March
- 24–27 March – The sixty-fourth session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-64) is held in Bangkok, Thailand.[11]
- 23 March – 2 April – Third meeting of the Preparatory Commission for the entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement (PrepCom 3) scheduled.[12]
May
- 19–22 May – Meeting of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Synthetic Biology (tentative).[13]
- May 2026: Following the New Zealand Supreme Court's decision to allow the tort lawsuit Smith v Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd to go ahead, the New Zealand government announced they would introduce legislation to prevent lawsuits relating to climate change.[14]
- 23 May to 7 June (ongoing) – Flamingo Revolution.
June
July
- 27 July – 1 August – Twenty-eighth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-28) (Convention on Biological Diversity process).[17]
August
- 4–12 August – Seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-7) (Convention on Biological Diversity process).[18]
October
- 19–30 October – UN Biodiversity Conference (Seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD COP-17) held in Yerevan, Armenia.[19]
November
December
- 2–4 December – 2026 United Nations Water Conference convened in the United Arab Emirates, co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal.[22]
Deaths
- Madhav Gadgil passed away.