CEESP publishes Policy Matters Issue 24: Reimagining Conservation: Toward a Flourishing Future
This issue of Policy Matters is devoted to the Reimagining Conservation initiative. It dives into four transformative chapters to reimagine conservation: conservation action, leadership and justice, money and power, and relationships. Through critical reflections and bold alternatives, this issue challenges us to rethink how conservation is led, who it serves, and what it can become, with articles and stories intentionally curated to reflect those discussions and guiding questions.
In 2025, CEESP published Issue 24 of its flagship journal Policy Matters to coincide with the IUCN World Conservation Congress. Titled Reimagining Conservation: Toward a Flourishing Future, the issue responds to a time of deep uncertainty marked by climate disruption, biodiversity collapse, shrinking civic space, and widening inequities—making clear that business-as-usual conservation is no longer sufficient.
Structured around four transformative chapters—conservation action; leadership and justice; money and power; and relationships—the issue brings together diverse voices that challenge entrenched paradigms and call for bold shifts grounded in justice, care, and solidarity. Contributions explore rights-based approaches, diverse knowledge systems, and leadership capable of bridging divides and reshaping how conservation is led and who it serves.
Curated by an expert editorial team under the oversight of the CEESP Chair and Steering Committee, this edition reinforces CEESP’s mandate to link biodiversity conservation with social equity, Indigenous peoples’ rights, and inclusive governance, offering timely and inspiring thought leadership for the global conservation community.