The Isle of Man will host the Inter-Island Environment Meeting (IIEM) for the first time this September.

The event, now in its 25th year, will take place at the Villa Marina, Douglas, from 17–19 September. It will bring together more than 120 participants from across the British Isles, including the Channel Islands, the Isle of Scilly, Lundy, the Isle of Wight, Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

The theme of IIEM25 is ‘Collaboration for Greater Impact’, with a focus on building alliances across sectors to address climate change and biodiversity loss. For the first time, the programme will include a significant contribution from business and industry.

Delegates will represent government bodies, environmental organisations, academia, and companies with an interest in conservation partnerships. Sessions will include talks, panel discussions, networking opportunities, field trips and a reception at Government House.

The event will open with remarks from His Excellency Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer and close with comments from Chief Minister Alfred Cannan MHK.

A new third day has been added to the programme to explore business–nature collaboration. This will feature sessions on green finance, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) innovation, and case studies of corporate partnerships with conservation groups. It will also include Eco-Match, a pitch-style showcase where environmental projects present to potential business partners for seed funding and support.

Graham Makepeace-Warne, chief executive of Manx Wildlife Trust, said: ‘We’re bringing together forward-thinking people from conservation, science and industry to explore what becomes possible when expertise and resources are aligned.’

The main sponsor is Visit Isle of Man, alongside support from Taxa Genomics, Appleby, Lloyds Bank and Conister Bank.

Deborah Heather, chief executive of Visit Isle of Man, said: ‘We are delighted to support MWT in welcoming the IIEM25 conference to the Isle of Man. Eco-tourism, whether for business or leisure, is a fundamental part of Visit Isle of Man’s “Our Island, Our Future” strategy.’