Give Nature a Seat at the Table - Citizen COP 2026

Let’s Give Nature a Seat at the Table - Australia’s Biggest Green Zone

During COP17 and COP31, Australians everywhere are invited to create their own mini Green Zone by leaving a seat at the table for nature — at home, at work, at school, in a café or in a community space.

Simply leave one seat empty and mark it for nature with a plant, leaf, flower, branch, drawing, or a simple “Nature” tag. No special materials are needed.

The empty seat becomes a visible reminder that nature is often missing from the decisions that shape our future — and that biodiversity deserves a place in every conversation.

Citizen COP takes place alongside two global COP events:

• COP17 Biodiversity (19–30 Oct)

• COP31 Climate (9–20 Nov)

This means you can start at anytime during these global moments - whether it's for a single day, multiple days, or across the full durantion of the COPs.

How it works

1. Choose a seat for Nature. Leave one chair empty around your table, in your meeting room, classroom or community space.

2. Make it Nature’s Seat. Add a plant, leaf, flower, nature object, drawing or simple “Nature” sign — whatever you have available.

3. Gather around the table. Invite friends, family, colleagues, students or your community to join the conversation.

4. Share your Nature Seat. Take a photo or video, share it using #CitizenCOP, and tag People For Nature so we can share your contribution too!

Imagine during COP17 & COP31

• A café in Brisbane with a plant marking an empty seat for nature.

• A family dinner table in Tasmania with a simple “Nature” tag on a chair.

• A school classroom with a seat representing local wildlife.

• A corporate boardroom with an empty chair marked “Nature”.

• Thousands of Nature Seats across Australia, creating a living map of people making space for nature.

The official COP brings governments together. Citizen COP brings everyone in. During COP17 and COP31, Australians everywhere can expand the Green Zone by making space for nature — wherever they live, work, learn and gather.

About Citizen COP Australia

Citizen COP Australia is a decentralised, people-powered movement running alongside the global COPs in 2026. Enabled by People For Nature, but intentionally independent and distributed, Citizen COP invites communities, organisations, schools, businesses, artists, and local groups across Australia to host their own events during the COP period. Rather than a single central event, Citizen COP is a nationwide network of conversations, workshops, and actions that bring global climate and nature discussions into local communities. It connects people to science, solutions, and each other, strengthening civic engagement and ensuring citizen voices contribute to Australia’s climate and nature conversations.

https://www.peoplefornature.org.au/citizen-cop

About People For Nature

People For Nature is a volunteer-powered environmental charity empowering communities through climate and biodiversity education, citizen conservation, and science. We believe that when Australians understand and connect with nature, they’re more likely to protect it — safeguarding our climate, ecosystems, and well-being.

Your tax-deductible donation helps us bring initiatives like Citizen COP Australia to life and inspire real change for the planet. https://www.peoplefornature.org.au/donate

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