The call for transformative governance in biodiversity conservation is growing. Global biodiversity governance is shifting toward greater scrutiny and support for non-traditional actors and deeper interaction between public and private entities—from the bottom up, rather than focusing solely on legal regimes and state-centric practices.

This “whole-of-society approach” is central to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). As emphasized in the CBD Action Agenda for Nature and People, not only national governments and international organizations, but also sub-national authorities, businesses, Indigenous peoples, local communities, researchers, and NGOs—so-called “middle-out” actors—are increasingly participating in biodiversity efforts.

Challenges remain: translating this approach into local practice, preventing unintended effects like greenwashing or sectoral leakage, and aligning fragmented institutions. Governance innovation is critical. Without equitable distribution of governance capacity, the whole-of-society approach risks becoming a “nobody’s approach.” Capacity must be built across three domains: enabling rules, shared discourses, and access to essential resources. This fosters a polycentric system grounded in accountability, transparency, justice, equity, and sustainability.

This session explores theoretical debates, conceptual innovations, and empirical insights into how this approach is adopted. We examine the roles of non-state actors, their networks, and agency in co-designing biodiversity solutions. We invite experts to share research, practical experience, and policy insights to help advance the GBF and foster collaboration for change.