COP17: Italy Joins the Fungal Conservation Pledge
On 27 October 2026, Italy announced its commitment to the Fungal Conservation Pledge, an international initiative aimed at promoting the recognition and conservation of fungal diversity as part of biodiversity policies.
The announcement was made by Claudio Barbaro, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, during an event dedicated to the initiative, held on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan, Armenia.
Italy’s commitment forms part of the international effort to strengthen the recognition of fungal diversity as an essential component of biodiversity, in view of the role fungi play in ecosystem functioning, soil ecological processes and the restoration of natural environments.
By joining the Pledge, Italy joins the other signatory countries in contributing to efforts to integrate fungal diversity into conservation strategies and policies, including the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
In this context, research, data collection and the sharing of scientific knowledge on fungal diversity are particularly important, as they are essential to supporting the development of appropriate conservation measures.
At the national level, ISPRA’s Network for the Study of Mycological Diversity (Ndm) contributes to the development and advancement of knowledge about Italy’s fungal diversity by promoting collaboration among experts and the collection and management of data through the Fungi Information System (SIF). These activities provide a valuable knowledge base to support the recognition and conservation of fungal diversity within biodiversity policies.