Aligning the nature and climate agendas

Learn why an integrated approach is the only way to tackle the climate and nature crises

The climate change, biodiversity loss and land and marine degradation crises we face pose some of the biggest existential risks to humanity. These crises are not siloed; they are interdependent. They share some of the same drivers, with unsustainable land use, over-exploitation of natural resources, economic pressures and governance failures consistently emerging as key contributors across global assessments. What's more, these crises interact and exacerbate one another.

We know these crises are interlinked. 

The importance of stronger integration of multiple environmental policy agendas is therefore increasingly recognised as a critical step towards sustainability and meeting international goals. Despite some positive steps taken to strengthen integration, concrete policy linkages on climate, biodiversity and habitat degradation remain weak, with plans to address these crises developed in isolation. This isolation is a barrier to tackling the interwoven crises, creating policy and implementation gaps whereby some problems are inadequately tackled, and solutions developed to tackle one crisis inadvertently making the other worse. 

To mark the launch of a ZSL report on the risks of climate-nature silos and why we need alignment and integration between environmental agendas, this event will make the case that our current approach to intertwined crises is costly, can duplicate activities, undermine the other environmental agendas, and can lead to wasteful spending and fragmented, financially inefficient responses.

Our speakers will introduce the report, provide an overview of the current state of play on integration at the international and UK scale, and consider the pertinence of current discussions for the marine realm. Presentations will be followed by a panel discussion, and opportunity for questions from the audience.

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Speakers

Professor Nathalie Pettorelli, Institute of Zoology, ZSL

Nathalie is a senior conservation biologist who possesses expertise in climate change ecology, biodiversity monitoring, and environmental management. She has published >200 peer-reviewed articles on issues related to population and ecosystem dynamics, remote sensing, wildlife status assessment, species reintroduction and ecosystem restoration, and nature-based solutions. She is experienced with science to policy interactions, being for example part of the biodiversity expert committee of the UK’s Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs and the co-chair of the IUCN working group on rewilding.

Dr Hollie Folkard-Tapp, Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Institute of Zoology, ZSL

Hollie's research focuses on the policy, implementation, and guidelines around biodiversity and climate action, particularly in the context of the Rio Conventions. Her work explores how climate solutions can support both nature and society, finding practical ways to balance the needs of people, biodiversity and the planet. She holds an MEnvSci in Environmental Science (University of Southampton) and a PhD in Tropical Forest Ecology (Imperial College London). Her PhD thesis explored how to optimise the recovery of logged forests in Malaysian Borneo, with a special focus on accurately measuring root biomass and predicting future forest regeneration. 

Dr Mark Dickey-Collas, Marine Scientist

Mark is an independent marine scientist with over 30 years experience advising science-informed policy. His work focuses on linking fisheries management and nature conservation through ecosystem-based management. He advises implementation of international agreements including the Global Biodiversity Framework, the Common Fisheries Policy, and the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement. As former Chair of the ICES Advisory Committee, Mark led the delivery of scientific advice to governments across the North Atlantic and Arctic. He currently chairs the IUCN Fisheries Expert Group, is an adjunct professor at the Danish technical University and Chairs the international science board of the Netherlands Regeneration of the North Sea programme.

Georgina Chandler, Head of Policy and Campaigns, ZSL

Georgina is Head of Policy and Campaigns at ZSL, where she leads the organisation’s policy, public affairs, and campaigning work with the overarching aim of placing nature at the heart of decision making. Previously, she led the RSPB’s global policy programme and co-led the nature and food working group of a global policy network. Georgina brings extensive experience across UK and UN policy processes, with deep expertise in the climate and biodiversity frameworks. She works to inform and influence policymaking through science-led advice, connecting with decision-makers, and building impactful coalitions and partnerships.