Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), delivered the keynote of the opening ceremony at the ChangeNOW Summit 2026 in Paris.
Speaking alongside global leaders from science, business, and Indigenous communities, Ms. Al Mubarak emphasized that the defining environmental challenges of our time — climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation — are deeply interconnected and accelerating, even as the world faces broader uncertainty.
“These crises do not pause for political cycles or geopolitical rivalries. They remind us how deeply interconnected our futures truly are.
“Nature is not separate from our economies and societies — it is the foundation of them. Nature is central to our economy, our stability, and our humanity.”
Referring to the scientific framework presented by Johan Rockström, she highlighted that while science defines the limits of the Earth system, the response depends on collective human action.
“Science helps us understand these limits. What happens next is not about science. It is about the choices we make together.”
Ms. Al Mubarak also underscored the importance of cooperation across sectors and geographies, particularly at a time of increasing global tension.
“We do not come together because all is well. We come together because we believe things can, and must, be better and because we are willing to work together to create something of greater collective value.”
Ms. Al Mubarak pointed to IUCN as a practical example of multilateral cooperation in action, bringing together more than 1,400 Member organizations and thousands of experts worldwide to deliver science-based solutions for nature.
She concluded by stressing the urgency of implementation and the narrow window for action.
“By 2030, the world has committed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and to protect 30 percent of land and ocean. We have no more time to delay these choices.”
