BioCAM4 Summer Update: Research, Collaboration, and the Road to COP31

During summer 2026, the BioCAM4 research consortium made strides in advancing the project's research and implementation, and strengthening project partner integration and team spirit. The BioCAM4 Annual Team Meeting in Bonn was held over three days on June 15-17, jointly with a BioCAM4-led side event at the UN Climate Change Conference (SB64), in Bonn, Germany. The BioCAM4 Annual Team Meeting was hosted by The German Institute for Development and Sustainability (IDOS), a partner organization within the BioCAM4 consortium. The meeting which was in a three-day retreat format held at IDOS created the space for project partners to report on their progress, share their thoughts and on-the-ground experiences, engage in strategic planning and reflection for the year ahead,outlining priorities for the next phase of work. Research activities and preparations for the next phase of project activities have also been ongoing over the summer.

At the start of the Fall term, the BioCAM4 team is working on partnerships, outreach, and preparations for a range of activities, including delivering at international conferences, producing outputs, advancing co-creation in focus areas in Central America and East Africa, and planning for knowledge dissemination and policy outreach. A highlight of the Annual Meeting was the announcement of the Africa and Research and Impact Network (ARIN)  Publishing Academy a continental initiative developed in collaboration with Taylor & Francis to strengthen scholarly writing, publishing support, policy communication, and mentorship for African researchers,  and a book launch by ARIN, a key partner of BioCAM4, of the book RECLAIMING KNOWLEDGE Decolonial Methodologies from the Global South on decolonizing research and impact on climate governance.

Another highlight was the launch of the CoAct database, jointly with the ACHIEVE project and BioCAM4.

An upcoming flagship activity of BioCAM4 is the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31)  in Antalya, Türkiye. Currently, the BioCAM4 team and its partners are coordinating a range of COP31-related activities. The BioCAM4 team is also exploring various ways to bring their work to the climate community. These activities will help connect the BioCAM4 research and partnerships to current international discussions on climate, biodiversity, and sustainability.

BioCAM4 is an international research consortium bringing together researchers, policymakers, and community partners to advance knowledge on nature-based climate action. BioCAM4 is funded by the Government of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) (Grant number: NFRFI-2023-00225), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft / German Science Foundation (DFG), and UKRI's Economic and Social Research Council (grant no: ES/Z000092/1).

BioCAM4 explores pathways that deliver co-benefits for climate, biodiversity, human health, and local livelihoods, through global mapping, regional deep-dive studies, and policy engagement, the project. The project is coordinated by the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research (York University, Canada), with consortium partners, the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS - Germany), Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE, Costa Rica), Africa Research and Impact Network (ARIN - Kenya), and Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (Rwanda), Institute of Zoology (United Kingdom), and Radboud University (Netherlands).

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