IEP@BU Hosts Consultation on the 2026 Human Development Report: Advancing the Transition to a Nature-Positive Economy

On 10 February 2026, the Institute for European Policymaking @ Bocconi University (IEP@BU) hosted the official consultation on the 2026 Human Development Report (HDR) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), focusing on one of the report’s central themes: the transition towards a nature-positive economy.
 

Held at Bocconi University, and co-organized with Generali, the consultation convened institutional representatives, academics, and policy experts to examine how economic systems can be reoriented to fully recognize nature’s role in sustaining human development, wellbeing, and long-term prosperity.
 

The 2026 Human Development Report is the final installment in a trilogy addressing major global transformations—political polarization, the societal implications of artificial intelligence, and the destabilization of planetary systems.
 

The consultation at IEP@BU focused specifically on transitions towards a nature-positive economy, addressing a central question: what would it take to fully recognize nature’s contribution to economic progress and human wellbeing?

An open roundtable discussion followed, structured around two pillars: innovation in metrics and strengthening the nexus between nature, economics, and public policy.
 

By hosting this consultation, IEP@BU reaffirmed its role as a platform connecting academic research, European policymaking, and multilateral dialogue. Reframing economic progress in nature-positive terms is not solely an environmental imperative; it is central to Europe’s long-term competitiveness, social cohesion, and intergenerational fairness.

 

The 2026 Human Development Report aims to identify new measurement tools, institutional levers, and actionable policy pathways to advance more just and livable futures for people and planet . The consultation at IEP@BU contributes to shaping this global agenda through a distinctly European and policy-oriented lens.