A Nature-First Economy: Towards a Healthy Society on a Thriving Planet
15 October 2025 | St. James’s Palace
The theme for our second CBA Nature-First Economy event focused on the pivotal role that nature plays in human health, and how adopting a Nature-First economy can drive the systemic change needed to ensure a thriving planet.
We explored the knowledge base and business-cases for nature as the foundation for human health, and the mindset shift required to recognise that we do not own nature – we belong to it.
Watch the speeches and panel discussions from the event
Reimagining our world around nature
Marc Palahí, CBA CEO
View the slide deck (pdf)
Weaving indigenous intelligence for regenerative futures
Rutendo Lerato Ngara, Council Member and Africa Representative, The Earth Elders
Good nature – the new science of how nature improves our health
Baroness Professor Katherine Willis CBE, Professor of Biodiversity, University of Oxford
Panel discussion: Nature in our Built Environment
Moderator: Asha Sumputh
Panellists: Vicente Guallart, Co-founder of Urbanitree, Former Chief Architect of Barcelona
Matilda van den Bosch, Senior Researcher, EFI Biocities Facility and Barcelona Institute for Global Health
Elise Van Middelem, Founder and CEO SUGi
Panel discussion: Nature in our bodies
Moderator: Ross Westgate
Panellists: Tari Haahtela, Professor em. of Clinical Allergology, University of Helsinki
Massimo Mercati, CEO of Aboca
Debbie Sharp, Professor of Primary Health Care, University of Bristol
Panel disscussion: Nature in our food
Moderator: Ross Westgate
Panellists: Hardy Vogtmann, Professor of Organic Agriculture, University of Kassel
Éliane Ubalijoro, CEO CIFOR-ICRAF
Patrick Holden, Farmer and Founder, Sustainable Food Trust
Victoria Stevens, Partner, Bramble Intelligence
