UICN, UNION INTERNATIONALE POUR LA CONSERVATION DE LA NATURE ET DE SES RESSOURCES

Their core work

IUCN is the world's largest conservation organization, uniting governments, civil society, and indigenous peoples to assess the status of species and ecosystems and drive policy action. In H2020 projects, they bring global authority on biodiversity assessment, nature-based solutions design, and environmental policy frameworks. Their practical contribution spans ecosystem valuation methodologies, natural capital accounting, and connecting science to multilateral environmental agreements. They serve as the bridge between conservation science and on-the-ground implementation across urban, coastal, and agricultural landscapes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

IUCN's early H2020 work (2017-2018) focused on broad environmental frameworks — climate resilience policy, biodiversity indicators for multilateral agreements, and establishing natural capital accounting networks. From 2019 onward, their focus sharpened toward implementation and scaling: large-scale coastal restoration (REST-COAST), soil ecosystem services (SOILGUARD), and climate adaptation packages (IMPETUS). The shift is clear — from building conceptual frameworks and policy tools to deploying and scaling nature-based solutions on the ground.

IUCN is moving from policy advisory roles toward operational involvement in large-scale ecosystem restoration and climate adaptation, with growing engagement in soil health and coastal systems.

How they like to work

IUCN never coordinates H2020 projects — they consistently join as a participant or third party, bringing their global authority and networks rather than managing consortia. With 225 unique partners across 34 countries, they operate as a highly connected hub rather than a repeat-partner organization. Their value in a consortium is institutional credibility, access to global conservation data (such as the IUCN Red List), and the ability to connect project outputs to international policy processes.

IUCN has collaborated with 225 unique partners across 34 countries in H2020, making them one of the most broadly networked conservation organizations in the programme. Their partnerships span all of Europe and reflect their role as a globally operating intergovernmental body based in Switzerland.

What sets them apart

IUCN is not a typical research centre — it is the global standard-setter for conservation, maintaining the Red List of Threatened Species and the Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions. No other H2020 participant can offer the same combination of scientific authority, policy access to 170+ member governments, and a network of 1,400+ member organizations. For consortium builders, adding IUCN signals credibility and ensures project outputs can feed directly into international environmental governance.

Highlights from their portfolio

• REST-COAST
  Largest IUCN allocation (EUR 723K) and most ambitious scope — large-scale coastal ecosystem restoration across rivers-to-sea connectivity, involving blue carbon and climate adaptation finance.
• We Value Nature
  Directly aligned with IUCN's institutional mission — building a pan-European network for natural capital accounting using the Natural Capital Protocol.
• Inspire4Nature
  Unique MSCA training network placing IUCN at the centre of training the next generation of biodiversity science-policy researchers.