Wildlife conservation and community volunteer projects and internships worldwide
January 23rd 2025
Last year was the first full year to see 1.5°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels. The path to a more sustainable world is clear, the only thing that remains is action.
2025 could be an important year for climate action if the necessary agreements are made. Here is an overview of some of the major climate events to keep an eye on this year.
2025 ECOSOC Partnership ForumDate: 5th February 2025
Location: New York, United States
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will hold a forum under the theme: “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for leaving no one behind”. It will focus on some of the key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 5, 8, 14, 17) and provide a platform for discussing new ideas, expectations and priorities.
Date: 30th April – 1st May 2025
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Future Days is a festival, conference, and debate that focuses on making urban life more environmentally friendly. This year the three-day itinerary focuses on the following themes: grounding in the local context; synergetic ecosystems for urban resilience; governance paradigms and regenerative communities; and collective intelligence for a cultural landscape.
Date: 9th June – 13th June 2025
Location: Nice, France
The third United Nations Ocean Conference, an event focused on SDG 14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development), will be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. Its overarching theme is “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean” and aims to foster further and urgent action to conserve the oceans.
2025 Bonn Climate Change ConferenceDate: 16th June – 26th June 2025
Location: Bonn, Germany
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will host the 62nd sessions of its subsidiary bodies in Bonn later this year. While details about this event have not yet been released, these conferences usually relate to the issues of the annual COP. Last year’s Bonn Climate Change Conference saw discussions focused on climate finance, advancing progress on the next round of national climate action plans (Nationally Determined Contributions, NDCs), the timely submission of countries’ first Biennial Transparency Reports, work on National Adaptation Plans, and accelerating climate action through a just transition.
Date: 9th October – 15th October 2025
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is hosting the largest gathering of nature conservation experts and decision makers later this year. The congress themes include: scaling up resilient conservation action; reducing climate overshoot risks; delivering on equity; transitioning to nature-positive economies and societies; and disruptive innovation and leadership for conservation.
2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30)Date: 10th November – 21st November 2025
Location: Belém, Brazil
Finally, COP30 is set to convene in Brazil towards the end of 2025. Alongside climate finance – the focus of last year’s COP which will go down as one of the least successful in the conference’s history – mitigation is also a key focus of COP30. Other additional themes include protecting nature, climate justice, and plastic pollution. The more nuanced details of this conference and its presidency will be announced later this year.
While we wait to see what happens at the governmental level in these conferences, you can get involved in conservations efforts across the world with WorkingAbroad. For example, you could monitor coral reefs and marine conservation in Mauritius or help with wildlife rehabilitation and reintroduction in Costa Rica.
We work with projects across the globe looking to tackle climate change on the ground, so if you want to take action yourself NOW then you can! As a climate change volunteer, you’ll be making a vital contribution towards combatting global warming and its far-reaching impacts. Your efforts can range from engaging in reforestation initiatives to participating in essential research. Join us at WorkingAbroad to take a proactive role in this global mission.
Written by WorkingAbroad blogger Eddie Forman
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