IUCN and Keidanren Share Corporate and NGO Engagement Toward Institutionalizing Nature Conservation Outside Designated Protected Areas

On February 25, 2026, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, and the Keidanren Nature Conservation Council (KNCC) held an online meeting on “Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs),” an international framework for recognizing areas where nature is maintained even though they are not designated protected areas such as national parks. Participants included government agencies, companies, NGOs, foundations, and managers of private protected areas. The meeting provided an opportunity to share progress on institutional development in various countries, examples of initiatives led by private actors, and support measures offered through international networks. The event aimed to strengthen the role of nonstate actors in achieving the global target of conserving 30 percent of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030 (the “30×30 target”).