Esri at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025
Every four years, leaders, scientists, and innovators from around the globe gather to tackle the world’s most pressing conservation challenges at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. This year, the event will be hosted from October 9–15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Esri, the global leader in GIS technology, is thrilled to participate in the Congress and share how GIS technology supports the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) through conservation planning, monitoring, and data integration, including satellite imagery, government data, and community-collected data.
Our participation at Congress is key as ArcGIS technology enables organizations and communities to take a geographic approach to conservation around the world, bringing together critical data (e.g., species occurrence records, protected area boundaries, climate risk layers) to understand things like where biodiversity is thriving, where it is under threat, and where intervention can make the greatest difference.
Why This Event Matters
The IUCN Congress is more than a conference—it is where international conservation policy is shaped and commitments are made that will guide the next four years of action. This includes decisions on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, governance of protected areas, and advancing the global “30x30” goal to conserve 30% of the planet’s lands and waters by 2030.
Esri’s participation matters because GIS technology is the connective tissue for this work. Our platform enables organizations to bring together critical data—species occurrence records, protected area boundaries, climate risk layers, and more—to understand where biodiversity is thriving, where it is under threat, and where intervention can make the greatest difference.
Esri at the Exhibition
An exciting component of event is the Exhibition, a space where IUCN Members, Commissions, businesses, partners, and academic institutions showcase their research, innovations, and conservation projects. The Exhibition will be held in the halls of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from October 9-13. It will be open to Congress registrants, as well as the general public for select hours.
Esri will have a presence at two pavilions within the Exhibition, each offering unique opportunities for engagement and learning.
America’s Pavilion
At the America’s Pavilion, Esri will host a 45-minute session (details coming soon) to showcase the Hexagonal Earth tool and how it can be used for reporting on the CBD targets. Esri staff will be available at the pavilion throughout Exhibition hours to give demonstrations and point to resources.
Communication and Education Pavilion
At the Communication and Education Pavilion we will highlight the intersection of nature, learning, and technology. Esri will host a 45-minute session (details coming soon) featuring the Nature-based Education (NbE) GeoPortal, a new resource designed to be a hub “where learning happens.” The NbE GeoPortal will connect schools and students to Esri educational resources and programs, making powerful geospatial tools more accessible to the next generation of conservation leaders.
Esri Presentations Throughout the Congress
Esri team members will be delivering multiple presentations over the course of the Congress, covering topics such as ecosystems atlas, conservation innovation with Jane Goodall Institute, data sovereignty, data preservation, and more.
Here are the presentations from Esri at the Congress:
| Date | Time | Location | Session | Link |
| Thursday, Oct. 9 | 15:00 – 16:00 | Nature-based Education Pavillion | Sustainable Forestry Initiative & Esri: GIS as a teaching tool for our forests and watersheds Esri Speaker: David Smetana | None |
| Friday, Oct. 10 | 11:00-12:00 | Nature-based Education Pavillion | Introducing the Nature-based Education Geoportal and inspiring the global movement for positive change Esri Speaker: Jason Sawle | Link |
| Friday, Oct. 10 | 14:00-15:00 | America’s Pavillion | Future-Proofing Conservation Data: Maintaining Reliable Datasets for Research and Decision-Making Esri Speaker: Sean Breyer | Link |
| Friday, Oct. 10 | 15:00-16:00 | Nature-based Education Pavillion | #NatureForAll and Esri, Love Stories StoryMap presentation Esri Speaker: David Smetana | None |
| Friday, Oct. 10 | 17:00-18:00 | Central Stage | Official Nature-based Education Facility Launch: Where Learning Happens. A new global incubator and GeoPortal for Nature-based Education highlighted by IUCN leaders and Esri.
Esri Speaker: Ryan Lanclos and Jason Swale | Link |
| Friday, Oct. 10 | 18:00-19:00 | IUCN Programme 2026-2029 Pavilion - R3 | Global Ecosystems Atlas: The Innovation Layer for Nature Action using IUCN’s Typology
Esri Speaker: Sean Breyer | Link |
| Saturday, Oct. 11 | 14:00-15:00 | Nature-based Education Pavillion | Esri will be at the Nature-based Education Pavilion to do demos of our technology and meet with attendees Coordinator: Jason Sawle | None |
| Saturday, Oct. 11 | 14:00-15:00 | Central Stage | Combining GenAI with the Jane Goodall Institute’s Community-Led Model to Accelerate and Scale Local Conservation Esri Speaker: Sean Breyer | Link |
| Saturday, Oct. 11 | 9:30-10:00 | Press Conference Room | Press Conference: IUCN launches Nature-based Education Facility with $10 million in-kind contribution from Esri
Esri Speaker: Ryan Lanclos and Jason Swale
| Link |
| Sunday, Oct. 12 | 11:00-12:00 | IUCN - The Americas - Room 2 | Leveraging Global Biodiversity and Conservation Hexagons for reporting on the Convention on Biological Diversity Framework
Esri Speaker: David Smetana | Link |
| Sunday, Oct. 12 | 12:00-13:00 | Global Environmental Facility Pavillion | Future-Proofing Conservation: Scaling Impact Through Intergenerational Collaboration in Africa Esri Speaker: Lorien Innes | Link |
| Monday, Oct. 13 | 10:30-14:00 | Nature-based Education Pavillion | Esri will be at the Nature-based Education Pavilion to do demos of our technology and meet with attendees Esri Coordinator: Jason Swale | None |
View the full program.
Pre-Conference Summits
Esri will also be participating in several of the IUCN Congress pre-conference summits, including:
These summits set the stage for the week, creating space for dialogue and commitments that will drive the Congress forward.
Connect with Us at the Congress
Our team is looking forward to connecting with you in Abu Dhabi! Be sure to connect with us at the Americas and Nature Based Education Pavilions or catch us after a session to talk about how GIS can accelerate your conservation goals.
Meet the Esri Team:
- Ryan Lanclos – Director, Global National Government Industry Solutions
- Lukasz Czerwinski – Nonprofit Account Manager
- Emily Swenson – Nonprofit & Conservation Programs Manager
- David Smetana – Professional Services, Conservation Strategy
- Jason Sawle – Global Industry Manager for K-12 Schools
- David Gadsden – Senior Geospatial Advisor, Conservation
- Sean Breyer – GIS Engineering Director
- Matthew Pennells - Director for Global Community Engagement
Follow along on social media for updates and live coverage:
