Bringing together science, local communities, policy and finance
Recent extreme wildfires worldwide have highlighted the urgent need to accelerate the transition towards integrated, landscape-scale wildfire risk management. No single sector can do this alone – it will require collaboration between government, research, local communities, the private sector, financial institutions, insurance, and philanthropy.
The CBA’s Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Network, together with CTFC and the FIRE-RES Programme will be bringing representatives from these groups together at the Advancing Wildfire Resilience Implementation workshop at the end of September.
Thanks to support from CBA Custodian Member the “la Caixa” Foundation and the Government of Catalonia the event at Cap Roig in Spain will focus on:
Integrated wildfire risk management, including multifunctional landscape design with local communities and Integrated Fire Management
Financing implementation through public-private partnerships
Governance for wildfire resilience
Perspectives from Living Labs across the world: Spain, Canada, France, Portugal, Bulgaria, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Australia – and how Living Labs and their innovative approaches can be scaled globally
Inspiring the next generation of pashmina entrepreneurs
Fibre-to-fabric skills, regenerative business thinking and youth leadership were on the agenda in a recent enterprise and skills incubator for young people in the Changthang region.
The 10-day residential workshop brought together 11 young participants aged 18-31 from the Changthang region of Ladakh to build confidence in pashmina skills and entrepreneurial abilities, as well as strengthen pride in being Changpa.
The region is historically linked with pastoral livelihoods, especially pashmina goat rearing. However, in recent decades, younger generations have increasingly moved away from traditional livelihoods due to climate change and livelihood challenges, limited economic exposure, a perceived lack of dignity in pastoral work, and weak local enterprise ecosystems.
The future-oriented workshop aimed to change this, introducing the next generation to the economic, ecological and cultural significance of pashmina.
With a blend of studio practice, immersive field visits, enterprise labs and youth leadership sessions, participants learned practical skills in fibre handling, spinning, basic weaving/knitting and product prototyping. They also explored product and market positioning, branding/storytelling and digital entrepreneurship, as well as community-based business models and youth leadership. Another important strand focused on understanding Changthang’s pastoral landscape, rangeland ecology and climate change.
The hope is to seed a small but committed group of young regenerative entrepreneurs, innovators and rangeland stewards in Ladakh’s highland economy, equipped with the practical skills and regenerative enterprise mindset to build a sustainable future in the region.
“Acting as an ambassador for the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance allows me to use my professional experience, platform, and influence to amplify Indigenous perspectives, encourage respectful collaboration, and help ensure that harmony is actively practiced through listening, reciprocity, and shared responsibility.”
Our CBA ambassadors are advocates and changemakers, who represent us on the global stage, champion our work and help to build connections and partnerships. In this series, we meet Hedda-Katrin Paisley, the Executive Director, Advancement, Philanthropy & Alumni Relations at Macquarie University in Australia and CEO of the Macquarie University Hong Kong Foundation. Currently, Hedda-Katrin is focused on the Australian Harmony Centre for Ecosystem Futures at Macquarie University, championing a nature-positive future.
“To serve as an Indigenous Ambassador aligns deeply with my long‑standing commitment to reconciliation, Indigenous leadership, and creating spaces where First Nations voices are respected, heard, and central to decision‑making.
Throughout my career in education and philanthropy, I have seen the transformative impact of genuine partnership with Indigenous communities. When Indigenous leadership is embedded rather than consulted, outcomes are stronger—not only socially and environmentally, but institutionally. Such partnerships help reshape systems to be more just, inclusive, and oriented toward long‑term wellbeing.
The King’s Harmony work resonates strongly with me through its emphasis on unity, stewardship of Country, and harmony between people and the natural world. These principles are foundational to Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural practice, and they align closely with Indigenous understandings of care for Country, intergenerational responsibility, and collective flourishing.
I am particularly motivated by the opportunity to support Indigenous‑led approaches rather than symbolic engagement. At this stage of my career, my focus is on contributing to work that has lasting impact. Serving as an Indigenous Ambassador is a meaningful way to stand alongside First Nations leadership, support truth‑telling and reconciliation, and help embed social, cultural, and ecological harmony into how we lead, govern, and live.”
New research from our Himalayan Regenerative Fashion Living Lab partners Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) explores how Changpa herders think about resilience and adaptation.
The Changpa have historically practiced nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralism on the Changthang plateau in eastern Ladakh, within a complex web of human, animal and landscape relationships. Climate change and livelihood diversification are rapidly reshaping land use, rangeland ecology, patterns of mobility and local adaptation responses.
Surveys and ethnographic fieldwork last year in Changthang aimed to find out how Changpa herders think about and implement resilience and everyday adaptation. Results show that resilience is not merely understood as absorbing shock and recovering – but as a place-based and dynamic process of living with uncertainty.
“Rather than a spectacular response to crisis, resilience here is the slow work of everyday life.
Modernity and tradition, hardship and hope, change and care get woven together as communities adapt and respond, and as livelihoods diversify into new domains. Many forms of knowledge and ways of being coexist and inform pastoral life in Changthang. Herders continue to move, to renegotiate obligations, to remain in relation because there is, quite simply, no alternative to doing so. Transience is an essential condition of life here, as ubiquitous as the landscape itself. Flocks will continue to thin and grow, younger generations will leave and maybe, return, monasteries will call new gatherings for rain and the language people use to understand climate and change will continue to evolve.”
Researcher Sidak Kaur
A key finding from the research is the critical gap between on the ground, relational practices and external interventions. Co-produced, place-based adaptation pathways should be used that build on, rather than displace existing pastoral capacities and knowledge systems. The NCF team continues to build on this work, and the research provides clear ongoing directions for the CBA Living Lab.
The research was presented at the “Pastoralism in India: Changes and Continuity” Conference held in IIT Hyderabad in May 2026, and a book chapter and academic paper is forthcoming.
LVMH supports new knowledge-sharing activities on regenerative cotton
A new initiative will support the sharing of knowledge on sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices in the cotton sector.
Funded by CBA Founder Member LVMH, the initiative includes activities such as a policy brief, online training and research which will draw on practical insights from the Living Lab 1.0 in Chad.
This pilot project took place between 2022-2024, and tested using sustainable agroforestry approaches to restore degraded land and improve livelihoods in the Logone Occidental and Lac Provinces. This included a 20-hectare regenerative agroforestry cotton pilot as well as training for farmers in regenerative approaches and establishing a community tree nursery.
The pilot project provided valuable insights into what is possible and what’s needed to create a viable blueprint for regenerative agroforestry cotton in semi-arid regions. The lessons learned from both this project and other regenerative cotton production approaches will be synthesised in a policy brief, and used for online capacity-building and training materials.
The CBA will also carry out research into opportunities to enhance the value of regenerative cotton across the supply chain, exploring approaches such as traceability systems and certification pathways.
The CBA’s CEO Marc Palahí and Hélène Valade, LVMH Group Environment Development Director signed the agreement in Paris on 17 July, before announcing a new phase of the project at the UNCCD COP 17 in August 2026 at Ulaan Baatar.
Marc Palahí said: “We are grateful for the support from LVMH for our work on cotton, which will help us share practical insights and research on regenerating landscapes, strengthening livelihoods and opening new market opportunities. This will be invaluable for informing policy, programme design and investment decisions in regions like Chad.”
Hélène Valade said: “LVMH has committed to preserving or regenerating 5 million hectares by 2030, particularly within its supply chains. The Group is proud to collaborate with the CBA and to continue supporting regenerative cotton production in Chad started notably through training and technical support for farmers. A successful initial phase, implemented over the 2022-2024, has helped establish best practices. This next phase, with the support of the CBA and local partners, will focus on sharing with as many farmers as possible.”
Hélène Valade (LVMH Group Environment Development Director)and Marc Palahí (CBA CEO), 17 July Paris
Reflections on Groundswell from the CBA’s Director of Strategic Relations and Membership, Katie McCoshan
At the beginning of July the CBA’s CEO Marc Palahí and I spent two days at Groundswell – the regenerative agriculture festival held at Lannock Farm in Hertfordshire – which was celebrating its tenth anniversary. We came away energised and inspired. Walking the fields at Groundswell isn’t like sitting in a conference centre; you’re standing in the middle of the thing you’re trying to build, surrounded by the people actually building it.
For CBA, it was also a chance to test our thinking. Earlier this year we hosted a roundtable on scaling regenerative food systems which identified promising steps to accelerate progress, including how to build a coordinated market commitment and living labs to support the transition in particularly challenging value chains. Talking to farmers, NGOs, retailers and investors at the conference we kept circling back to the same questions and challenges. And it’s clear there’s real appetite to keep pushing on them together, which is exactly what we intend to do over the rest of this year.
Why now matters. This year’s Groundswell landed at a pointed moment for UK agriculture. June 2026 brought a second heatwave of the year, pushing water demand up sharply. Some reservoirs are already down to 50–60% capacity and meteorologists are predicting a strong El Niño event for the rest of 2026, which could disrupt farming in the UK as well as disrupting international food supply chains. Resilient, regenerative agricultural systems are rapidly becoming an economic and food security imperative.
Three things stood out from the discussions as needing the most attention next:
Long-term offtake and procurement. Retailers and manufacturers hold real power here, and some are already using it. Waitrose has committed that by 2035, all its own-brand UK meat, milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables and horticulture will come from farms using regenerative practices. Nestlé’s recent move to source regenerative Wildfarmed wheat for its UK KitKat production shows the same logic reaching further into everyday supply chains. The open question at Groundswell wasn’t whether this matters, but who’s going to follow. That’s precisely the gap our own work is now looking at.
Shared methods for a science-based transition. There was strong consensus that regenerative agriculture is a journey. We should be talking about principles, not prescribed practices, and measuring continuous improvement. Organisations like the Sustainable Food Trust and the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture are doing important work to build a harmonised approach. A critical point is that shared frameworks can’t come at farmers’ expense. If we’re asking them to collect data, the cost of doing so has to be shared, not passed down the chain. Harmonisation has to come with funded support for the people generating the evidence, not just a common template for using it.
Knowledge and education. The sheer number of packed tents and workshops at Groundswell shows how much is already happening – the challenge now is scaling agronomic support so it reaches far more producers and farmers, not just the most connected ones.
Groundswell was a reminder that scaling regenerative agrifood systems will only succeed through collaboration and holistic thinking. There is a real movement and momentum and we’re keen to keep learning and convening key players to deliver a transition that is nature-positive, economically viable and resilient.
Amidst calls to massively upscale finance for nature, it is easy for meaning to get lost behind numbers and the mobilisation of finance to be prioritised over on-the-ground impacts. Estimating financial flows for nature is hard, leading to an increasing focus on more easily quantified mechanisms such as markets. However, this can result in important sources of funding for nature to be overlooked.
Our previous work highlighted the water industry national environment programme (WINEP), which sets out the actions the water industry need to take to meet their environmental requirements, and is amongst the largest flows of environmental finance in England, despite the fact most people have never heard of it, at approximately £4bn per year. Understanding how to consider WINEP and other similar programmes is complex, as many of the actions are required in order to prevent, remediate, or compensate for environmental harm done by the water industry and must be considered within this context.
A new policy brief, written by Alice Stuart and Justin Adams and funded through an Agile Initiative Science to Policy grant, aims to begin demystifying WINEP as a source of nature finance, and discuss the questions that need to be answered for it to reach its full potential for nature and communities.
What is being done?
As might be expected, over 90% of WINEP actions relate to monitoring, investigating, preventing declines in, or improving water quality. The majority of this action is driven by the Environment Act (2021). Other actions address water resources (the amount of water available in rivers), driven primarily by the Water Environment Regulations (2017), and the natural environment, driven by a range of habitat and wildlife legislations.
How much of WINEP is for nature?
This is a surprisingly difficult question, as where water quality is a driver of ecological decline in a river, a grey infrastructural solution to improve it may do more than more direct restoration activities, meaning the line where actions become for nature is blurred. We used the Multilateral Development Bank’s nature finance taxonomy and found approximately 62% of actions to fall into one of the below categories:
a) Restoration and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services – approximately 250 actions, many of which are focused on working with communities to restore landscapes and habitats to improve water quality and water retention.
b) Reduction of the direct drivers of biodiversity loss – approximately 3,500 actions focused primarily on water quality where ecology or the environment was listed as a reason for improvement.
c) Integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) – approximately 750 actions that use green solutions which aren’t intrinsically good for biodiversity, such as sustainable drainage systems and water treatment wetlands, for non-ecological improvements such as to bathing water quality.
d) Design and implementation of policy, tools, or other sectoral instruments enabling (a) to (c) – approximately 7,000 actions consisting of water quality monitoring, and feasibility and optioneering studies for actions in the next asset management period.
Why does this matter?
Due to its scale, the way WINEP treats nature has substantial potential impact for nature outcomes in England. This is true not only for the economic scale, but also the spatial scale: water companies cover multiple catchments allowing integrated and landscape-scale actions that might not be possible for smaller organisations without support. In this way, it is encouraging to see a push to have nature more deeply integrated within WINEP including through the Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions programme funded by the Ofwat Innovation Fund. It is becoming more common to look at catchment and community-based actions as a means of driving water quality improvements, thus providing wider benefit whilst meeting regulatory requirements. Whilst we recognise this approach is not always appropriate, with improvements to grey infrastructure remaining highly necessary in many cases, we push for continued integration of biodiversity beyond regulatory requirements.
How can greater integration of nature into WINEP be achieved?
Before answering the question of how better outcomes can be achieved, it is first important to commend the progress that has already been made. Existing and upcoming programmes such as Upstream Thinking, Smarter Water Catchments, and Headstart are taking a more integrated approach to river health, looking at how catchment-based interventions and habitat restoration might allow faster and more effective environmental improvements. Further progress will require work to better enable collaborative working, both between departments of water companies and outside organisations and communities. Further, it is essential that evaluation of solutions takes a long-term view of the potential benefits of landscape-scale approaches whilst still ensuring short-term harms are properly addressed.
Water industry environmental spending has the potential to act as an anchor flow for broader catchment investment, empowering communities and catchment partnerships to restore their local areas. The upcoming overhaul of water industry regulation allows the potential for changes to be made that promote catchment nature-based solutions where they are an effective approach to addressing environmental harms.
This research was supported by the Agile Initiative at the Oxford Martin School and the Natural Environment Research Council as part of the Changing the Environment Programme (NERC grant reference number NE/W004976/1)
Round table and reception at Buckingham Palace on 24 June
CBA CEO Marc Palahí joined fellow climate and nature leaders from government, the United Nations, business and civil society for a cross-sector discussion on the Global Action Agenda convened by Climate Action at Buckingham Palace on 24 June during London Climate Action Week.
The Action Agenda is part of the Paris Agreement and COP process, designed to strengthen the role of businesses, cities, investors, communities and civil society in delivering climate action beyond formal negotiations. It brings together the people and coalitions turning climate commitments into practical change, from clean energy and farming to nature, resilience and public engagement.
The round table was followed by a reception with His Majesty The King where the outcomes of the round table were shared and discussed.
Wild by Nature podcast episode explores the circular bioeconomy
In a special episode for London Climate Action Week, our CEO Marc Palahí and CBA Ambassador Vian Sharif discuss the circular bioeconomy on the Wild by Nature podcast.
A wide-ranging conversation sees them explore why biodiversity loss and climate risk are becoming financial risks, how forests support human wellbeing and global prosperity, and why a circular bioeconomy is essential to creating a nature-positive future.
“Nature is our best strategy, our best partner. Nature is the interface between the sun and us, translating solar energy into renewable biochemical energy and biological resources that with the right knowledge and wisdom we can use across our economy.
This is what a circular bioeconomy is. An economy ultimately powered by the sun.”
CBA CEO Marc Palahí was a keynote speaker at the III Foro Económico y Social del Mediterráneo in Barcelona on 18 June. The Forum is an initiative of the Prensa Ibérica group and the CBA Custodian Member the “la Caixa” Foundation, and brings together institutions, companies, experts and civil society around the major challenges of the Mediterranean area: stability, prosperity, sustainability, housing, mobility, tourism, innovation and social welfare.
Watch Marc’s speech
In his speech, Marc explored the need to transform our economy around nature, creating a circular bioeconomy – an economy that values and invests in biodiversity and nature-based solutions as the true engine of our economy. An economy that places local communities at the centre of regenerative landscapes and circular bioeconomy value chains. An economy that uses regenerative approaches and circular systems and business models to operate within planetary boundaries. It is an economy adjusted to the ecology of the planet.
“A circular bioeconomy is the most cost-effective and long-term strategy to avoid the unmanageable and to manage the unavoidable. The most scary part of climate change and nature degradation, is not what we know, but what we don’t know. But we know one important thing. Life has been delivering solutions for more than a billion years. Can we ignore such wealth of knowledge in our current situation?”
A new CBA white paper sets out the five key actions we can take to transition to regenerative agri-food systems.
The global agri-food system’s contribution to climate change and biodiversity loss is immense, and its industries are some of the most adversely affected by these ecological crises. Regenerative agriculture offers a pathway to transform our agri-food system: strengthening supply chain resilience, supporting farmer livelihoods and regenerating the landscapes on which all food production depends.
This transition is no longer a matter of corporate sustainability strategy — it is an economic and food security imperative.
Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach that aims to regenerate and restore the health, resilience and long-term productivity of soil and wider socio-ecological system, and support farmer livelihoods. It employs techniques and practices that promote the reduction of synthetic chemical inputs and physical disturbance, focusing on building soil health, increasing biodiversity, enhancing natural carbon sinks, and in turn increasing the resilience of farms and value chains to extreme weather and climate events.
However, scaling regenerative agri-food systems faces structural barriers:
The knowledge, advisory and capacity gap
Lack of understanding of the real transition risks
The lack of long-term offtake and investment security
The framing challenge: risk, language and narrative
Complex and fragmented value chains
Five promising steps we can take to accelerate progress include:
Invest in knowledge, education and peer learning
Align financial support with the transition
Commit to long-term offtake and procurement models
Reframe the narrative
Strengthen shared methods and frameworks for a science-based transition.
The CBA is moving swiftly on three fronts:
Building coordinated market commitment. In collaboration with key participants, the CBA is developing a proposal to bring together committed buyers and retailers to create long-term demand for regenerative agriculture.
Living Labs for challenging value chains. The CBA is exploring the co-development of dedicated Living Labs focused on value chains where the transition is most needed and most complex in Europe and the UK. These would support to the growing evidence base and support capacity building on the ground.
Further convenings. The CBA will continue to convene leading actors from across the value chain to catalyse action.
The economic case is clear. The evidence is building. The CBA is ready to play its role as a convening, enabling platform.
The white paper is informed by the Roundtable on Regenerative Agri-Food Systems, convened by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) and hosted at Windsor Castle on 15 May 2026, followed by a reception with His Majesty King Charles III. The roundtable brought together those involved in supporting, building, investing in and operating the agri-food system, to discuss how to take the critical next steps to scale regenerative and nature-based production.
Tropical and subtropical forests face severe threat of loss and degradation from commodities linked to agricultural expansion and forestry. This not only drives negative impacts like greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss but also impacts local communities. Global consumers are connected to this distant forest loss through complex value chains where commodities are harvested, processed, transported and sold.
To bridge this gap, the EU adopted the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) in 2023 with implementation set for 30 December 2026. The regulation aims to guarantee that the products EU citizens consume do not contribute to global forest loss. It covers seven commodities: cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood, and products that contain, have been fed with or have been made using these.
Under the EUDR, any business placing these commodities on the EU market, or exporting from it, must prove that they do not originate from recently deforested land. While the EUDR directly applies to EU businesses, it essentially regulates businesses globally who want to sell to the EU market. These must, for example, provide geolocations of the plots where products were grown/harvested and evidence of legality.
Understanding why and how businesses across the globe respond to environmental regulations like the EUDR is a key question for their successful uptake.
A new study with CBA co-author Yitagesu Tekle Tegegne explores this in Brazil, the Congo Basin, and the EU, covering both forestry and agricultural sectors. Based on 200 interviews across the value chains, a clear pattern emerges: market considerations drive everything.
While regulative pressure matters – particularly for EU-based businesses – ethical or legal concerns are almost always filtered through a financial lens before they influence decisions.
If it is too costly or complicated, smaller suppliers are likely to abandon the EU market and just sell elsewhere instead. Some larger businesses plan to separate EUDR-conforming from non-conforming supply rather than changing their practices, which means deforestation-linked goods simply flow to other markets with no net environmental benefit.
The study highlights that for regulation to drive real change rather than just “paper compliance”, policymakers must move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. Different businesses – from massive multinationals to small local farmers – experience these rules in vastly different ways. Ultimately, the authors argue that if a regulation is going to drive real change, market forces should be complemented with strong deterrence, coordination with other regions and markets to prevent leakages, supportive incentives and a sense among businesses that the rules are fair and legitimate.
Cramm, M., Ziegert, R. F., Berning, L., Uwiringiyimana, H., Schulz, D., Shidiki, A., Zanguim, H., Wunder, S., Börner, J., Azevedo‐Ramos, C., Tegegne, Y. T., & Sotirov, M. (2026). Chain reactions: how businesses plan to respond to the EU Deforestation Regulation in Brazil, the Congo Basin, and Europe. Regulation & Governance, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/rego.70156
We are are pleased to announce that Katie McCoshan has joined as the Director of Strategic Relations and Membership.
Katie has over eight years experience in building coalitions and driving multistakeholder action on the intersection of people, nature and climate.
Previously, she worked at the World Resources Institute (WRI) leading the Food and Land Use Coalition’s (FOLU) international engagement agenda. Katie helped established the first Food Systems Pavillion UNFCCC COP27 and COP28 and oversaw FOLU’s Ambassador network. From 2024 to 2026, Katie brought the Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation to life. Early in her career, she promoted sustainable trade and investment in emerging markets with DMA Invest, and as a senior advisor in the House of Lords.
Katie has a Master’s with Distinction in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics and a First-Class Undergraduate Degree in Geography from the University of Cambridge.
Our Living Labs network extended its reach with phase two of the Himalayan Regenerative Fashion Living Lab, supporting pashmina herder communities in Ladakh, and an agroforestry-based medicinal plants Living Lab in Italy.
Feasibility studies began in Indonesia, Ecuador and France, focusing on regenerative coffee, cacao and viticulture.
Our grants supported Indigenous students at the Living School of the Amazon (EVA) and the coordination of the African NGOs Alliance for Environmental Sustainability (ANAES).
Our two Fellowships deepened the foundations of our work. The Designing for Life essay and the Wytham Woods workshop created as part of the CBA Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Fellowship for Reimagining Nature Finance and Inclusive Capitalism represented a genuine leap: not just asking how to fund nature but also asking what kind of finance system would be designed from nature’s own principles. Our new Fellowship on Artificial Intelligence for a Nature-First Economy supported by NatureAlpha is pioneering the use of AI to advance the monitoring and implementation of landscape regeneration.
2025 also showed one of CBA’s greatest strengths and global contributions: bringing together businesses, scientists, Indigenous communities and public institutions in genuine partnership, and putting that partnership to work across the globe to create demonstrable impacts on the ground.
Two highlights stand out: the convening power of the CBA as showcased at our event at St James’s Palace on nature and health and broadening and strengthening our diverse coalition by welcoming the “la Caixa” Foundation (the foremost private foundation in Spain and one of the largest in Europe) as our first Custodian Member.
His Majesty The King updated on collaborative regenerative actions
On 15 May the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance brought together at Windsor Castle those involved in supporting, building, investing in and operating the agri-food system, to discuss how to take the critical next steps to scale regenerative and nature-based production.
Scaling regenerative agri-food production will require the creation of investable business models that align ecological performance with farmer livelihoods and reliable, inclusive, market demand at scale. Partnerships between producers, businesses and investors are needed, together with approaches that are local, regional and community-rooted.
Discussions focused on overcoming barriers such as transition costs and risk, creating investment strategies and buyer commitments, as well as agreed standards and verification for regenerative approaches.
During the discussion, participants emphasized that farmers cannot be expected to carry the costs and risks of transition alone, and that, without long-term purchase commitments, the investment needed to change how food is produced will not flow. Opportunities for collective action were also discussed, including how lenders, insurers and investors can move faster by better recognising nature-related risks and benefits; how making natural capital visible in financial decision‑making can unlock capital at scale; and how collaboration across existing initiatives can help build on what is already working.
Marc Palahí, CBA CEO said “It is time to transform our current agri-food system, so that it becomes a solution rather than a driver of the climate and nature crises, supports healthier diets and enhances the resilience of communities and our ecological system. The question is not whether to act, but how to take the critical next steps to scale regeneration together.”
Outcomes and suggested next steps will be published in the coming weeks to build momentum on this critical issue.
The roundtable discussions were followed later in the day by a reception, which was joined by The King.
Regenerative agriculture: a holistic process
Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach that aims to regenerate and restore the health, resilience and long-term productivity of soil and the wider socio-ecological system. It uses techniques and practices that promote the reduction of synthetic chemical inputs and physical disturbance, focusing on building soil health, increasing biodiversity, enhancing natural carbon sinks, and in turn increasing the resilience of farms and value chains to extreme weather and climate events.
While there is no broadly agreed-upon definition of regenerative agriculture, common to all definitions is the idea that regenerative agriculture is not a one-size fits-all approach. It is a context-specific journey that depends on the local soil conditions, ecosystem and microclimate, the crops to be grown, and the local community, as well as economic and cultural factors. The process requires continuous learning, data collection and on-farm innovation, and this less prescriptive, outcomes-based approach is why many consider regenerative agriculture a much more attractive proposition for farmers.
While promising in many settings, regenerative approaches are still evolving from early adoption and pilot phases towards more consistent, scalable and economically validated models. There is a critical opportunity to accelerate learning, target investment where it is most needed, and create the enabling conditions for building and scaling economically validated models.
More information
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was established by His Majesty King Charles III, as The Prince of Wales, and is a registered charity. The CBA aims to accelerate the change to a nature-first economy that is climate neutral, inclusive and powers prosperity. We create impact at scale, using natural capital to build sustainable value chains which transform our land, food, health and industrial systems. Our approach combines a science-based framework, coalitions of expert partners, indigenous and local leaders, and a global network of ‘Living Labs’.
The Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Network (WRLN) community met online on 12 May, as part of a new phase of activity made possible by the support of CBA Custodian Member the “la Caixa” Foundation.
The network spans multiple continents, with members from Canada, Australia, Europe, Chile (through the FIRE-RES programme) and South Africa joining the CBA core team to explore synergies.
The WRLN was launched in November 2023, aiming to bring together indigenous, local and scientific organisations with finance and public actors to scale up investments in wildfire resilient landscapes.
It acts as a catalyst and sharer of knowledge, connecting indigenous and community solutions, scientific expertise, innovative tools and financing models. During the meeting, members introduced themselves and shared information about their projects and living labs. These demonstrate a variety of practical solutions on the ground such as cultural fire practices, innovative technologies, management and stewardship models, or innovative financial models to support long-term landscape transitions.
WRLN aims to build a global network of these wildfire living labs, enabling large scale demonstrations which can be replicated on a regional level based on public-private partnerships.
The network will meet again in person in the autumn at an international workshop on wildfire resilience in Cap Roig, Spain.
A new white paper outlines the five key barriers and five promising solutions for scaling biobased industries.
The circular bioeconomy presents one of the greatest business opportunities of the 21st century. It represents a systemic alternative to the current extractive, linear, fossil-based economy and offers holistic solutions to pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss as well as to resource security and economic prosperity.
Biobased industries play a crucial role in this transition: these are technologies and sectors that harness biological resources and processes to replace fossil-based products across chemicals, materials, packaging, textiles and agricultural inputs. Against a backdrop of rising climate-related losses and growing geopolitical risk, scaling these industries is imperative, but faces structural barriers.
Through the CBA’s multi-stakeholder engagement, we have identified the following critical bottlenecks:
The fossil price gap and commercialisation valley of death
The finance gap and patient capital deficit
Weak and inconsistent demand signals
Infrastructure and value-chain fragmentation
Policy fragmentation and regulatory uncertainty
Five promising steps we can take to accelerate progress include:
Creating demand certainty
Deploying patient, blended capital
Pricing in externalities and strengthening policy
Supporting fast, low-cost pilots and corporate validation: the Living Labs model
Deepening collaboration and building a stronger narrative
To do so will require closer alignment between innovators, corporates and financiers. The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) will continue to convene key partners to drive action forward and bring the bioeconomy from niche to norm.
The white paper is informed by the Roundtable on Scaling the Circular Bioeconomy, which was convened by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) and hosted at Windsor Castle on 30 March 2026, followed by a reception with His Majesty King Charles III. The roundtable brought together investors, corporations, and solution-providers to focus on accelerating the transition to a biobased economy.
CBA CEO Marc Palahí and Trustee Federico Marchetti explain in Reuters how the fashion industry has long treated sustainability as a marketing tool. Geopolitics is about to make it a survival one.
Right now, 70% of the textiles used to clothe the world’s eight billion people are made from petroleum products. The fashion industry is tied to the fossil fuel system – subject to the volatility, geopolitical risk, and structural fragility that entails. As surging crude oil prices due to the Iran conflict push prices of petroleum-based raw materials up by over 10%, we have new, convincing proof that the synthetic-based fashion model is fracturing. So why persist with this model, when it’s no longer predictably cheaper and contributes roughly 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, 20% of global industrial wastewater, and 14% of plastic pollution?
In their op-ed, Marc and Federico explore the work of the Apulia Regenerative Cotton Project, a collaboration between the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force, the CBA and the Armani Group. Launched in 2023 in southern Italy, it was designed to test regenerative agriculture scientifically and bring it to market.
Cotton remains the most important natural fibre in fashion. Yet, its conventional production is still largely extractive: depleting water, degrading soil, increasing climate exposure, and relying on synthetic inputs derived from fossil resources.
Instead, the Living Lab integrates cotton into an agroforestry system, restoring biodiversity and building resilience in a water-scarce Mediterranean climate, replacing synthetic inputs with biological ones. Over three growing seasons, land-use efficiency improved by 35%. Soil health and water retention measurably improved. And the project moved from field to finished product in under three years, proving regenerative fashion can operate at commercial pace.
The project shows the model works, the technology exists, and the market signal is real. And the learnings can be adapted across similar landscapes. Now we need to scale.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is proud to announce its Ambassadors for 2026.
Our ambassadors are a group of exceptional individuals with a shared commitment to the mission and vision of the CBA. We look forward to working with them to accelerate the transition to a nature-first economy that is both powered by nature and prospers in harmony with it.
Our ambassadors are advocates and changemakers, who will represent us on the global stage, championing our work and helping to build connections and partnerships.
CBA CEO Marc Palahí said: “We are honoured to be working with such an inspiring group of people. Delivering the vision and ambition of the circular bioeconomy will not be achieved by any single organisation or sector. It requires a coalition of people – and we are deeply grateful to our Ambassadors for contributing to our work.”
Our ambassadors are:
Fany Kuiru Castro, General Coordinator of COICA (Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin)
Alex Chantecaille, Managing Director of the Chantecaille Conservation Foundation
Mathieu Flamini, CEO and co-founder of GFBiochemicals
Hedda-Katrin Paisley, Executive Director, Advancement, Philanthropy & Alumni Relations at Macquarie University
Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, the President of the governing board and territories coordinator for the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance
Vian Sharif, Founder of NatureAlpha
Asha Sumputh, entrepreneur, journalist and television content producer
On April 22 in celebration of Earth Day, CBA member Aboca presented the Italian edition of ‘Harmony. Un nuovo modo di guardare al nostro mondo‘ by His Majesty King Charles III when he was Prince of Wales, at the Festival of the St. Francis Ways, organised by the Fondazione Progetto Valtiberina.
The presentation of Harmony featured the book’s co-authors, Ian Skelly and Tony Juniper. The discussion also included Marc Palahí, CEO of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA); Antonio Caschetto, director of the Center Laudato Si’ Movement of Assisi; Fra Marco Moroni, Custodian of the Sacro Convento of Saint Francis in Assisi; and Massimo Mercati, President of Aboca. The event was preceded by opening remarks from the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Christian Trott.
The occasion aimed to present the book’s core messages and the “nature-first” vision championed by His Majesty King Charles III. This vision appears increasingly relevant and capable of guiding the development of our society toward a new paradigm—one that resonates deeply with the teachings of Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ and opens the way to a renewed understanding of the relationship between humanity and nature.
The documentary Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, which premièred last January at Windsor Castle, was also screened.
At the CBA, we work with an exceptional team of people, including employees, secondees, consultants and volunteers, who together drive our mission forward. We are especially grateful to those who generously give their time and expertise to the CBA in an honorary capacity, to help us deliver transformative impact on the ground.
We would like to warmly thank two colleagues who have stepped down from their roles as Honorary Strategic Advisors to the CBA in 2026: Jasbir Nizar and Taraneh Azad.
We are very grateful for their commitment to the CBA over the past two years, and we wish them every success in the years ahead.
Jasbir Nizar
With a background in law and over 25 years of extensive experience in finance and the banking sector, Jasbir brings a diverse skill set and strategic perspective to her work. Her career includes leadership roles at RBS, Citi and LOIM, where she managed teams across HR, Sales, Marketing and Product Development. In addition to her financial expertise, she has developed strong client-facing relationships and worked closely with clients in the nature and sustainability sectors. This experience has deepened her understanding of environmental challenges and opportunities. She is passionate about mobilising finance for nature first investments.
Taraneh Azad
Taraneh is Chief Commercial Officer at the Paratus Group of Companies. Previously, she was Chief Investment Officer and Partner at Systemiq, a sustainability advisory and investment business, and Systemiq’s Managing Partner from 2021 – 2024. Before joining Systemiq, Taraneh spent over 25 years’ in finance through senior positions in the commodities business of major investment institutions, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Hartree. She worked mostly with corporates and sovereigns in Europe and the Middle East on their commodity price risks. She started her career in international development at the United Nations.
We are are pleased to announce that Simon Sadinsky has joined the CBA in an Honorary Role, as CBA Special Advisor – Built Environment.
Simon is an Executive Director at The King’s Foundation, where he oversees the organisation’s education, health, research and impact activities.
In addition to his role at The King’s Foundation, he serves on the Governing Board of the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation at Kellogg College, University of Oxford, sits on the Advisory Board of the Harmony Institute, is a Professor of Practice at the University of Wales, is a Research Fellow at the University of Grenoble, and is a Trustee of Heritage Crafts.
Prior to joining the King’s Foundation, Simon worked within the education and community development sector in the UK, US and internationally. He holds a PhD in Urban Studies at the University of Glasgow, an MSc in Population and Development from the London School of Economics, an MA Urban Policy from the University of Illinois-Chicago, and a BA Political Science from Colorado College.
His Majesty The King updated on new collaborations and actions
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance brought together bio-innovators, investment organisations and businesses at Windsor Castle on 30 March to discuss what it will take to scale the circular bioeconomy.
Discussions focused on new bio-solutions, innovative financing mechanisms and cross-stakeholder collaboration.
During the discussion, participants emphasized the need for strong cross-sector alignment and the role of convenings like this one to support collaboration.
Outcomes and suggested next steps will be published in the coming weeks to build momentum on this critical issue.
Marc Palahí, CBA CEO said “The CBA is determined to bring together people across sectors to connect the dots and build an integrated ecosystem that can help to scale the circular bioeconomy. Collaboration is non-negotiable, as no single entity can influence the full value chain. We need to take collective action that can help to overcome critical barriers, and which brings together all stakeholders, including innovators, manufacturers, brands, and investors.”
The roundtable discussions were followed later in the day by a reception, which was joined by The King.
Scaling the circular bioeconomy: from niche to norm
The circular bioeconomy is an economy centred around the restoration, protection and sustainable use of natural capital. It is one of the greatest business opportunities of the 21st century – new bioeconomy innovations use bioresources to develop and deliver solutions across multiple industries, replacing fossil-based materials with sustainable materials. This includes materials like bioplastics, textiles and nanocellulose; biobased construction materials like mass timber and mycelium; and innovation in the food sector including new agri-tech and biobased food supplements and feed.
These bioeconomy solutions will not only help us to achieve critical pollution, climate and nature targets. They also support resource security, especially in regions with low availability of fossil resources, as well as job creation and economic growth, including in rural areas.
However, scaling the circular bioeconomy faces structural barriers. Bio-based ventures often struggle to secure financing – the investment gap is enormous, and finance mechanisms are not designed for biobased businesses. Progress is further slowed by weak demand, with no consistent pull from consumers or brands willing to pay a premium.
More information
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was established by His Majesty King Charles III, as The Prince of Wales, and is a registered charity. The CBA aims to accelerate the change to a nature-first economy that is climate neutral, inclusive and powers prosperity. We create impact at scale, using natural capital to build sustainable value chains which transform our land, food, health and industrial systems. Our approach combines a science-based framework, coalitions of expert partners, indigenous and local leaders, and a global network of ‘Living Labs’.
Formula 1® has today announced that it has become an Affiliate Member of the CBA.
As a member of the CBA, Formula 1 will work together with industry experts and other CBA members to strengthen the integration of nature protection and restoration into its strategy and delivery. Each year, Formula 1 works closely with every race organiser to develop annual sustainability plans, which are reflective of the local environment and community. The work then forms part of Formula 1’s Event Sustainability Management system which is externally accredited via Formula 1’s ISO 20121:2012 certification.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1 and Marc Palahí, CEO of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance
Biodiversity is an increasingly important focus within event delivery. In 2025, initiatives range from Spa’s Circuitsp’Adventure nature walk and Mexico City’s Butterfly Effect campaign on the endangered Monarch Butterfly through to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya’s six-year forest programme supporting youth training, and the Canadian promoter’s work to map and protect local species. This year, to mark Chinese Arbor Day, the Shanghai promoter, supported by BWT Alpine Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly, held a special ceremony in the Championship Garden to plant a native Osmanthus tree, reinforcing its long-term environmental commitment.
By becoming a member of the CBA, Formula 1 demonstrates its increasing focus on nature in sustainable event delivery and amplifying pioneering innovation solutions.
Marc Palahí, CEO of the CBA, said: “We are delighted to welcome Formula 1 as a CBA Affiliate Member and are very much looking forward to working together with them to demonstrate the business case for nature in our economy. Transforming value chains and landscapes to become nature-positive is going to require ambition from and collaboration between diverse stakeholders – including corporates, scientists, charities, policymakers and on the ground implementors. For this reason, we are looking forward to collaborating with Formula 1.”
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said: “Formula 1 is proud to become a member of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. In recent years, the sport has made great progress in its Net Zero 2030 commitment, as shown in the 2025 Sustainability Report, where we announced a 26% reduction in carbon emissions in 2024 from the 2018 baseline. However, in Formula 1, we must always look forward, and joining the CBA marks the next step in our sustainability journey. I would like to thank His Majesty King Charles III for his vision and leadership in being such a passionate champion of this important initiative. I look forward to working with CEO of CBA, Marc Palahí, and his team as we look to use Formula 1 to drive positive and meaningful change.”
Ellen Jones, Head of ESG at Formula 1, said: “Formula 1’s sustainability strategy has been rooted in delivery and focussed on achieving our goals through collaborations within our sport. By becoming a member of the CBA, Formula 1 is now developing cross-sector collaborations which will build on our strong delivery foundations and collaborations within F1. By working with fellow CBA members to integrate and elevate nature-based solutions within the sport, we look forward to continuing to drive innovative solutions that build a more sustainable Formula 1.”
More information
About Formula 1®
Formula 1® racing began in 1950 and is the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition, as well as the world’s most popular annual sporting series. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1® and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™. Formula 1® is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: FWONA, FWONK, LLYVA, LLVYK) attributed to the Formula One Group tracking stock. The F1 logo, F1 FORMULA 1 logo, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX, PADDOCK CLUB and related marks are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula 1 company. All rights reserved.
About the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) was established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales), and became a registered charity in September 2023. The CBA aims to accelerate the transition to a nature-first economy that is both powered by nature and prospers in harmony with it. It delivers transformative impact at scale through its global network of Living Labs that blend science, technology and indigenous knowledge to holistically regenerate landscapes, support communities and rethink value chains.
We need to rethink our extractive, fossil-based economy if we want to rewrite our future – to create an economy that ultimately relies on life and its diversity.
Over the next two decades we need to put forward the greatest economic transformation in human history to achieve a climate-neutral, inclusive and nature positive economy – a ‘bio’ economy. Forests and the circular bioeconomy are crucial to catalyse the radical change that is needed.
The circular bioeconomy is an economy centered around the restoration, protection and sustainable use of natural capital. It is rooted in regenerative landscapes that enhance biodiversity, contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation, and support human health and wellbeing while ensuring a sustainable, inclusive and resilient economy.
Forests power the bioeconomy
Forests are central in transitioning to the circular bioeconomy. Not only because they are our main biological infrastructure, our largest terrestrial carbon sink and main host for biodiversity, but also because they are the main source of non-food, non-feed biological resources.
Bioeconomy innovation uses bioresources from forests to develop and deliver new solutions across multiple industries that can replace and environmentally outperform fossil products. Forest products can replace carbon-intensive materials like steel, concrete and plastics: wood can become bioplastics, textiles and nanocellulose, or be used in construction materials like mass timber. You can see these innovative forest-based solutions in the New Wood: Building A Bio-Based Future exhibition organised by the CBA, The King’s Foundation and the Finnish Forest Association at the Garrison Chapel in London, until 27 March.
Importantly, these bioeconomy solutions will not only help us to transition to a circular bioeconomy, achieving critical pollution, climate and nature targets. They also support resource security, especially in regions with low availability of fossil resources, as well as job creation and economic growth – bioeconomy offers us the greatest business opportunity.
What will help us succeed? There are three key areas we need to think about:
Biodiversity is crucial
We need to ensure sustainable and resilient forests in the long term. This means placing biodiversity at the centre of sustainable forest management. Primary forests should remain as biodiversity reserves, producing high-value low volume products (as Indigenous people have for millennia). Managed forests for timber production should also aim to enhance biodiversity to build resilience, adapt to climate change and ensure healthier ecosystems.
Using wood wisely
We also need to make sure we make the most of the wood we produce. Half of the wood harvested globally is used for low efficient energy use, mostly in the global south1. We need to replace this with more efficient renewable energy sources, and use wood for higher added value products that can replace plastics, concrete and steel. On top of this we need to think about circularity – wood resources are renewable by nature but are not unlimited! We need circular economy systems that use wood in a cascading way, optimising its value along different supply chains.
Reimagining the bigger picture
Nature explains our planet – it is what makes our planet special. It is the keystone infrastructure that regulates our planetary system, including our climate, the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe.
Nature is the basic fabric that supports all living processes on earth, including all our economic activities. Our economy does not realise this, because trees, birds and bees do not send bills to us, and because our economic system derives value from price rather than price from value. We cannot deliver the vision and ambition of the circular bioeconomy without fundamentally rethinking our economic model and the way in which we understand, value and invest in nature. We need a system change, replacing our current consumption-first economy with a nature-first economy that overcomes the past artificial dichotomy between ecology and economy.
Hetemäki, L., Palahí, M. and Nasi, R. 2020. Seeing the wood in the forests. Knowledge to Action 01, European Forest Institute. https://doi.org/10.36333/k2a01↩︎
His Majesty The King and the President of the Republic of Finland, Alexander Stubb, visited The Garrison Chapel in London on 17 March to see an exhibition celebrating innovative wood-based products.
The New Wood: Building a bio-based future exhibition brings together renewable materials, circular use, and cutting-edge innovation and design to show how the transition from a fossil-based economy to a bio-based one is already underway.
On display are pioneering wood-based alternatives for everyday products from Finland, from textiles and packaging to cosmetics and chemicals.
The exhibition also features works from The King’s Foundation’s Snowdon School of Furniture’s CREATE Programme, which demonstrate how innovative, responsibly sourced wood supports sustainable design.
The New Wood exhibition is a collaboration between the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, The King’s Foundation and the Finnish Forest Association. The exhibition is open from Monday 9 March until Friday 27 March 2026.
Flagship initiatives supported by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) presented to The King
The Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), founded by His Majesty King Charles III in 2020 when he was Prince of Wales, convened members of its Fashion Task Force on 12 March at Buckingham Palace to brief His Majesty on major progress across flagship projects advancing regenerative fashion and traceability through Digital Product Passports (DPP).
Taking place on the second day of the SMI’s Roundtables & Exhibition – concurrently taking place at Hampton Court Palace – the meeting with His Majesty covered results from the Himalayan Regenerative Fashion Living Lab, developed by the SMI Fashion Task Force in partnership with Brunello Cucinelli and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA).
Regenerative Himalayan cashmere scarves were displayed for guests as part of the Hampton Court Exhibition, alongside on-the-ground footage of the regenerative and community projects from inception to delivery, focusing on ecological recovery, livestock productivity and income stability for Himalayan communities – especially women and youth.
The Task Force also provided an update to His Majesty on the Apulia Regenerative Cotton Project, launched in June 2023 to introduce agroforestry-based cotton production in Italy. Led by the Fashion Task Force, the Armani Group and guided by the CBA, the project delivered measurable gains in soil carbon and biodiversity across the site. During the convening, the Task Force showcased the Armani DPP to guarantee authenticity and traceability and HModa presented its organic and regenerative cotton cultivation project in Apulia.
Federico Marchetti, Chair of SMI Fashion Task Force, commented: “I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the CEOs of the Fashion Task Force and their teams, as well as to the SMI and CBA, for the dedication they have shown over the past five years since the Task Force was established. Their collective efforts have enabled us to achieve remarkable, innovative and measurable results, which we had the honour of presenting today at Buckingham Palace to HM The King, who has always encouraged me to turn ideas into action. These results demonstrate to the entire industry the path forward. Fashion has always been an industry of creativity and reinvention: with collaboration and innovation, we can turn sustainability into the next great chapter of luxury.”
Marc Palahí, CEO of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, commented: “I am very proud of the progress which has resulted from the collaboration between the SMI Fashion Taskforce led by Federico Marchetti and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. The pioneering Living Labs in the Himalayas and Italy show what is possible when you blend business commitment, science and local knowledge, placing nature at the heart of our economy and creating a practical, scalable blueprint for the future.”
Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of Sustainable Markets Initiative, said: “The progress showcased today demonstrates the commitment and capability of the SMI and its members to deliver practical, scalable solutions for the sustainable transition. These flagship projects showcase how industry, science and communities can come together to rethink fashion’s global impact, highlighting the link between craftsmanship, environmental stewardship and traceability. With leaders across sectors gathering today at the SMI Roundtables & Exhibition, we have an opportunity to accelerate this progress and inspire others to join us in building a resilient future that positions Nature, People and Planet at its heart.”
The SMI Fashion Task Force brings together leaders from global brands, platforms, and retailers to accelerate Nature-positive solutions and turn ambition into real-world action through collaboration. With a combined revenue of over £24 billion, the Task Force includes Armani Group, Aura, Brunello Cucinelli, Burberry, Chloè, Emaar, HModa, Johnstons of Elgin, Mulberry, OTB, Prada Group, Puig, Stella McCartney and Textile Exchange.
New exhibition looking at nature’s solutions growing in our forests, opens at The Garrison Chapel, London
From sustainable fashion to designer bathtubs, a new exhibition at The Garrison Chapel reveals how wood is steadily replacing fossil-derived raw materials.
The New Wood: Building a bio-based future exhibition showcases how cutting-edge wood-based materials are transforming everyday products — from textiles and packaging to cosmetics, chemicals, and even car tyres.
The exhibition demonstrates that bio-based alternatives are no longer experimental. They are market-ready, scalable, and already replacing fossil-based materials. Highlights of the exhibition include designer sanitaryware made from a unique wood composite with a carbon footprint up to 80% lower than comparable ceramic products.
Visitors at The Garrison Chapel, The King’s Foundation’s exhibition space in London, can also learn how forest resources are sustainably transformed into cosmetics. In an industry worth £400 billion, cellulose-based hydrogel allows products to be made with up to 80% fewer chemicals and lower energy use. Waterless, biodegradable, and renewable, the wood-derived hydrogel on display is designed to replace multiple fossil-based ingredients in everyday beauty products.
Also on display are works from The King’s Foundation’s Snowdon School of Furniture’s CREATE Programme which is based at Highgrove Gardens, Gloucestershire. The pieces exhibited are rooted in circular practices, demonstrating how innovative, responsibly sourced wood supports sustainable design.
The exhibition brings together renewable materials, circular use of forest biomass, and cutting-edge innovation and design to show how the transition from a fossil-based economy to a bio-based one is already underway.
The New Wood exhibition is a collaboration between the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, The King’s Foundation and the Finnish Forest Association. The exhibition is open from Monday 9 March until Friday 27 March 2026.
Marc Palahí, CEO of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, said:
“The circular bioeconomy is one of the greatest business opportunities of the 21st century. Innovative bio-based solutions like those in the New Wood exhibition show the power of nature to help us transition to a more sustainable future. Building a circular bioeconomy that replaces the existing extractive fossil-based economy gives us the opportunity to invest in our renewable natural capital to holistically transform our land, food, health and industrial systems so they prosper in harmony with nature”.
Kirsi Joensuu, Executive Director of the Finnish Forest Association, said:
“Today’s bioeconomy builds on the strengths of the forest sector, from lumber, pulp and paper to advanced new materials. It is no longer a distant vision but a practical, scalable way to replace fossil‑based products. The New Wood exhibition shows that wood‑based solutions are not future concepts; they are real, market‑ready alternatives already in use.”
She added: “Finland’s forest sector is cutting emissions, strengthening the economy, and supporting a more sustainable future. That is exactly what New Wood brings to life.”
Dr Simon Sadinsky, Executive Director of Education at The King’s Foundation, said:
“It is wonderful to the see the work of our King’s Foundation furniture students exhibited alongside these innovative products. All our work at The King’s Foundation is centered on His Majesty’s Philosophy of Harmony, and looking to nature for our solutions, therefore it feels fitting to host this exhibition at our fantastic London exhibition space, The Garrison Chapel.”
More information
New Wood
Launched in 2014, New Wood is a groundbreaking project that demonstrates how innovation is driving the bioeconomy forward. It was created to increase public understanding of the full potential of wood, today and in the future. The project brings together 20 Finnish organisations from across the forest industry and is funded by its members and the Finnish Forest Foundation, which has served as the principal funder of New Wood since its inception.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was established by His Majesty King Charles III, as The Prince of Wales, and is a registered charity. The CBA aims to accelerate the change to a nature-first economy that is climate neutral, inclusive and powers prosperity. We create impact at scale, using natural capital to build sustainable value chains which transform our land, food, health and industrial systems. Our approach combines a science-based framework, coalitions of expert partners, indigenous and local leaders, and a global network of ‘Living Labs’.
Finnish Forest Association
Established in 1877, the Finnish Forest Association promotes sustainable use of forests and strengthens society’s understanding of the value of forests. Through communication, education and collaboration with stakeholders across the forest sector, the Finnish Forest Association supports the transition from fossil‑based materials to renewable, circular solutions. Its mission is to ensure that forests remain a source of vitality, innovation and sustainability for future generations.
The King’s Foundation is a charity founded by King Charles III and was first formed in 1990. Inspired by the vision and values of His Majesty, the Foundation builds and supports communities where people, places and the planet can coexist in harmony. The charity offers education courses for almost 15,000 students annually, health and wellbeing programmes for nearly 2,000 people every year, and spearheads placemaking and regeneration projects in the UK and overseas to revitalise communities and historic buildings.
The King’s Foundation is headquartered at its flagship regeneration project, Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, and acts as custodian of other historic Royal sites including the Castle of Mey in Caithness, Scotland, and Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire. The Foundation also carries out its work at educational and cultural hubs in London, based at The King’s Foundation School for Traditional Arts in Shoreditch, Trinity Buoy Wharf on the River Thames and the Garrison Chapel in Chelsea. In addition to its UK presence, the Foundation delivers programmes and projects in over a dozen sites worldwide. For more information, please visit www.kings-foundation.org/ or email .
What IPBES is really telling us about finance – and why closing the nature finance gap will not be enough
Reflections from the CBA’s Reimagining Nature Finance Fellow Justin Adams
Over the past few years the conversation around nature finance has gathered remarkable momentum. New funds have been launched, disclosure frameworks developed and we’re seeing a genuine shift in awareness across business and finance as investors are recognising that biodiversity loss presents real economic risk.
This progress matters. Yet the latest data on nature finance, alongside the science emerging from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the UN-backed body assessing the state of global biodiversity, suggests we may still be asking the wrong question.
The deeper question may not simply be how we close the nature finance gap. It is whether we are willing to question the economic systems that continue to drive biodiversity loss in the first place, and whether we have the courage to imagine what might come next.
Earlier this week, speaking at a post-IPBES Business and Finance Summit gathering hosted by NatureAlpha at the Royal Society, I reflected on the evolution of scientific narrative from IPBES in the past few years and what it might mean for the future of nature finance.
We start in 2019 with the landmark IPBES Global Assessment. For many in the business community this was the first time biodiversity loss was framed in terms that resonated beyond conservation circles. Its conclusion was stark and critical: halting biodiversity loss would require transformative change across economic, social, political and technological systems.
At the time that phrase, “transformative change”, was widely cited but what would such transformation actually mean in practice?
To answer that question, IPBES undertook a major follow-up assessment on transformative change. Approved by governments at the end of 2024 at IPBES-11, this work represented more than three years of interdisciplinary research spanning economics, ecology, political science and the social sciences. Remarkably, its conclusions were endorsed by more than 150 governments.
The assessment identifies three underlying drivers of the biodiversity crisis:
Our growing disconnection from nature,
Deep and widening inequality, and
The dominance of short-term decision making.
These are not simply environmental challenges. They point directly to the structure of our economic and political systems themselves.
Unless those underlying drivers are addressed, incremental improvements will fall short.
This brings us to the most recent IPBES report, the Business and Biodiversity Assessment approved at IPBES-12 earlier this year. The report was commissioned in recognition of the critical role that business and finance must play in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It sets out more than 100 concrete actions that companies can take to reduce biodiversity impacts and contribute to nature-positive outcomes.
This is an important step and reflects how far the conversation has moved in a relatively short period of time.
Yet the report itself also contains some striking messages. Its headline is clear:
“Businesses Can Either Lead Transformative Change or Risk Extinction.”
As Professor Stephen Polasky, one of the co-chairs of the assessment, puts it:
“The twisted reality is that it often seems more profitable to degrade biodiversity than to protect it.”
And among its recommendations is a direct call for systemic reform:
“Drive systemic change in financial systems to minimise harm, address drivers of loss, and align returns with positive outcomes for biodiversity and society.” (Action B2.1)
These are powerful statements. But they also reveal the tension at the heart of the current debate.
The progress we are seeing today is real. New tools, new disclosures and new financial commitments are important. Yet the deeper scientific analysis emerging from IPBES suggests that much more profound change will ultimately be required.
A good example is the way the challenge is often framed as a “nature finance gap”. According to the latest State of Finance for Nature report, around $7.3 trillion of financial flows each year continue to drive nature loss, while roughly $220 billion supports nature-positive activities.
Much of the debate therefore focuses on scaling up that $220 billion.
But the real question is why $7.3 trillion still flows in the opposite direction.
Seen in this light, the challenge is not just a finance gap. It is a systemic design flaw.
Our economies are sustained by far more than market transactions alone. Nature regulates water cycles, stabilises climate and sustains food systems. Communities steward landscapes. Public institutions safeguard shared resources. These non-market foundations are rarely captured in economic accounts, yet without them markets would simply not function.
If we take the science of transformative change seriously, the challenge ahead is therefore not only to scale today’s financial tools but to begin exploring what new economic architectures might look like.
Through my role as Reimagining Nature Finance Fellow with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, much of my recent work has focused on exactly this question. Last year we published a flagship report exploring how nature finance might be reimagined if the findings emerging from IPBES are taken seriously.
Encouragingly, early signals of change are beginning to emerge. Experiments in place-based finance, regenerative economic models and the growing momentum behind movements such as Rights of Nature all point toward ways in which economic systems may begin to recognise the value of living ecosystems more explicitly.
These initiatives remain small relative to the scale of the challenge. But they point to something important: the need to create more space to imagine, explore and test what genuinely transformative change might look like.
This is not about dismissing the progress that has been made. It is about recognising that the journey has only just begun.
The science emerging from IPBES is increasingly clear. Transformative change will require more than improving the system we have. It will require the courage to begin exploring what might come next.
Photo of Justin: Ines Stuart-Davidson for Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The CBA has awarded a grant to support the administration of the African NGOs Alliance for Environmental Sustainability (ANAES) in 2026.
Established and coordinated by the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) in collaboration with the CBA, the network unites the conservation efforts of 39 African NGOs. It aims to help them protect the environment and promote sustainable development, via a programme of capacity building, community engagement and knowledge exchange. In 2025 this included training of trainers to empower local NGOs and community actors, as well as regional and cross-border exchanges to foster experiential and peer learning. Topics covered included landscape restoration, community engagement, agroforestry, biodiversity, and sustainable land management approaches.
Alice Stuart, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery explores some of the work being carried out within the CBA Reimagining Nature Finance fellowship to understand financial flows to nature.
How much finance is flowing in service of life? This feels like it should be a relatively straightforward question, and an important one, particularly in light of the growing calls to upscale nature finance. Countries worldwide have committed to dramatic increases in financial flows to nature, both through Target 19 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and individual national policies, but what does this actually mean and how will we know when it’s happened?
Understanding financial flows to nature is essential, not only to track our progress towards commitments and targets, but also to know if what we are doing is working and where change is needed. Current estimates of nature finance (such as the UN’s State of Finance for Nature 2026) reveal global trends, including the extent to which financial flows in service of nature continue to be dwarfed by flows that are directly harmful. Whilst this lets us know how far we have to go, the assumptions and generalisations required to create a global estimate mean they are unable to show what is happening on the ground, preventing them from being used to set or direct local and for national policy. To address this gap, we asked the question:
What happens if you try to map an entire country’s nature finance flows?
Our new preprint presents much of my last eight months working with Sophus zu Ermgassen to track nature finance flows in the UK using publicly available data. The headline is that we found just over £1bn in total trackable financial flows to nature, with most of this coming from public sources (mainly agri-environment schemes). Perhaps surprisingly, these schemes are funded year-on-year by the sale of green bonds and gilts, so could be argued to be of private origin (more on this later). More interesting to me than the overall numbers, however, was the difficulty in coming to them, even for a country with strong nature finance commitments and relatively good financial transparency.
First, you need to work out what counts. Nature finance definitions tend to be either circular, fuzzy, or both, generally along the lines of “finance that contributes to the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework”. Although this works in theory, in practice it makes it very difficult to classify flows that might indirectly benefit nature at some unknown time in the future. To address this, we took a very narrow definition, focusing on funds disbursed through schemes or transactions that were specifically focused on investment in ecosystems and/or species. This has the disadvantage of excluding some financial flows but allows us to be more confident in our estimate.
Next, you need to find the information. This often requires navigating many individual websites and reports, often to find no numbers at all (particularly for private finance). Or, and perhaps more alarmingly, numbers that on the surface look relevant but upon digging include no direct investment in nature, for example mainstream banks’ sustainable finance figures, which largely consisted of sustainable mortgages and loans for electric vehicles. In other cases, such as agri-environment schemes, only some of the headline figure reported was directly invested in nature, requiring analysis of the individual actions funded to estimate the relevant proportion. This is not always possible; many flows will report the amounts, but without transparency around what has been funded it is impossible to know the contribution to conservation goals.
Then, once you have the numbers, you need to work out how to combine them. Inconsistencies in reporting mean the figures given cover different time periods (both in terms of the years reported for and the period reported, whether financial or calendar year), or represent different aspects of a flow (budget, all costs, disbursements, awards, etc.), all making it complicated coming to a final figure.
Finally, you need to consider the actors involved and the interactions between them. Otherwise, if finance is flowing between multiple actors included in the analysis, it is likely to result in double counting. Only by considering the interactions can you assess the interlinkages between funding sources and understand the bigger picture.
So, given these difficulties, what can we learn from this analysis?
The first learning is the difficulties. This work gives us empirical evidence that more transparency of reporting is desperately required to understand the likely conservation impacts of nature finance flows and build a more cohesive and effective nature finance ecosystem. Secondly, even with gaps, this analysis gives us a better understanding of financial flows for nature:
Public finance remains the dominant source of investment in ecosystems and species in the UK, largely through agri-environment schemes and carbon-storing habitat creation grants, showing a focus on investments with multiple benefits for people and nature. This means what the government pays landowners for will be one of the largest drivers of conservation in the UK.
Private financial flows for nature (or at least those in the public domain) are much smaller, particularly when you only consider returns-seeking finance.
However, there are widespread transparency issues around private finance so that it is impossible to properly quantify current private investment in ecosystems and species. Transparency is particularly poor when considering operational expenditure, which may be massive (particularly where industries are subject to environmental regulations), resulting in a potentially incredibly valuable source of finance for nature being overlooked during policy and priority setting.
Finally, the lines between public and private finance become blurred when you look hard enough. Government reporting suggests public spending on nature through agri-environment schemes and grant programs is funded year-on-year through the sale of green bonds and gilts (fixed income investment instruments issued by the Government). Previously, it has often been assumed public finance for nature is raised through general taxation, but the use of green bonds and gilts means it could be argued to be of private origin, with investors paid through general government taxation rather than profit from the biodiversity actions.
Whilst the results are limited to the UK in geographic scope, their relevance isn’t. Given the UK’s increasing focus on harnessing private finance, the lack of transparent private financial flows indicates a systemic difficulty in aligning private financial interests with those of nature. Further, the results speak to the need for a radical increase in transparency of financial reporting, both to know what is currently being done and to know how it must change to better align with life.
We are pleased to announce that Lauren Carroll has joined the CBA as a Programme Associate.
Prior to joining the CBA, Lauren worked at Palladium International as a Programme Coordinator on UK PACT, the UK Government’s flagship international climate finance programme focused on providing technical assistance and capacity-building to accelerate climate mitigation efforts in partner countries.
She also worked at the Impact Investing Institute, where she supported place-based impact investing initiatives and led a programme of work on Community Development Finance Institutions. Earlier in her career, Lauren spent six years at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, working as a Business Management Analyst and later as an Investment Specialist covering multi-asset absolute return funds.
Lauren holds a BSc degree in Economics from the University of Warwick and has completed all three levels of the CFA Programme.
A new feasibility study will investigate the creation of a CBA Living Lab for regenerative cacao in Ecuador.
The Living Lab would help support family farmers, particularly rural women, youth and Indigenous Peoples and nationalities, who continue to face significant barriers.
CBA Living Labs are inclusive landscape regeneration initiatives that combine strong sustainability and socio-ecological resilience within a concrete local context, promoting long-term harmony between people, production systems and nature.
The feasibility study will be completed in 2026, in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It aims to provide the foundations for the design of a CBA Living Lab by building a knowledge base on the actors, capacities and dynamics of the cacao value chain under agroforestry systems, emphasizing the regenerative potential of these landscapes.
The project contributes directly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to the Ecuadorian government’s climate commitments by promoting sustainable production, responsible investment, bioeconomy, social inclusion and climate resilience. The CBA would like to thank the Ecuadorian government for their assistance.
The study will be delivered by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance Advisors Ltd, a trading subsidiary which allows us to work with partners across the globe to further the CBA’s mission and vision.
A new landmark documentary chronicling King Charles III’s lifelong commitment to the environment is now available to watch on Prime Video globally.
‘Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision’, from The King’s Foundation and Prime Video, charts The King’s personal journey as an environmentalist throughout his lifetime.
The King’s Harmony philosophy encourages us to see ourselves as part of nature, not apart from nature. Harmony aims to readdress our relationship with the environment and nature for the good for people, places and the planet.
The 90-minute documentary feature was filmed between January and July 2025. It features the CBA’s CEO Marc Palahí who visited Guyana to reflect, learn and advise on the key role of forests and forest products in addressing the nature and climate crisis while building a resilient economy.
On 28 February our CEO Marc Palahí attended the premiere of Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision at Windsor Castle.
The landmark documentary focuses on His Majesty King Charles III’s Harmony philosophy, which encourages us to see ourselves as part of nature, not apart from nature. The film charts The King’s personal journey as an environmentalist throughout his lifetime.
“It is a beautiful film with a powerful and hopeful message”, said Marc Palahí. “I am proud that we, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance made a small contribution to it.”
Produced in collaboration with The King’s Foundation, the documentary will be available to watch on Prime Video from 6 February 2026.
The CBA’s AI Fellow Rafael Camargo reflects on the AWS Breaking Barriers Challenge
What happens when regenerative landscape practitioners, technologists, and data experts come together to rethink how impact is measured? From 13–15 January 2026, the CBA joined the AWS Breaking Barriers Challenge in London to explore exactly that. The hackathon brought together more than 500 participants across 49 teams and 20 charities, creating a fast-paced environment for experimentation with emerging digital tools, particularly generative AI, in service of real-world social and environmental challenges.
For the CBA, the focus was a fundamental barrier to scaling regenerative landscapes: fragmented and inconsistent monitoring and evaluation (M&E) data. Across regenerative agriculture, ecological restoration, and other nature-based solutions, projects often track outcomes using different indicators, methods, and systems. While this reflects local needs and constraints, it makes it difficult to compare results, demonstrate impact to stakeholders, ensure accountability, or systematically learn what works best across contexts. Addressing this challenge is central to CBA’s mission to accelerate regenerative approaches globally.
CBA’s work is guided by its seven Principles for Regenerative Landscapes, grounded in strong sustainability, social-ecological resilience, and the recognition of local context as the foundation for landscape regeneration. Translating these principles into practical, consistent, and affordable metrics, however, remains complex. During the hackathon, the CBA invited participants to explore how a shared digital foundation could support a more unified M&E approach, helping project teams identify relevant indicators suited to their local realities, while enabling data to be consolidated in ways that strengthen learning and accountability across projects and geographies. This challenge built directly on CBA’s ongoing work, in collaboration with Nature-based Insights, to develop its M&E framework and accompanying handbook.
In the spirit of learning through exploration, CBA led two teams in a friendly internal competition, testing different ways generative AI might support the democratisation of CBA’s research data, make the identification of appropriate evaluation metrics faster and more accessible, and improve data structuring and knowledge sharing, e.g., solutions such as a CBA-expert chatbot, a Project Design Description auto-screener, an app for data ingestion for non-data engineers. The emphasis was not on producing finished solutions, but on stress-testing ideas, surfacing opportunities, and better understanding where digital tools can meaningfully reduce complexity, and where local knowledge and scientific rigour must remain central.
The hackathon also underscored the value of dialogue between the sustainability and technology communities. A recorded conversation between Talia Smith, CBA’s Chief Programmes Officer, and Jose Gordon, Head of AWS Global Impact, reflects on how cloud computing and AI can be responsibly applied to support regenerative outcomes when guided by clear principles, thoughtful design, and strong partnerships.
While the AWS Breaking Barriers Challenge was an experiment rather than an endpoint, it generated valuable insights that will inform the next phase of CBA’s work on monitoring, evaluation, and learning. As CBA continues to refine its M&E framework and support regenerative landscapes worldwide, these explorations help clarify how digital innovation can strengthen, rather than complicate, efforts to measure what matters, learn across projects, and ultimately scale regenerative impact.
UK and Indonesia joining forces to protect nature, communities and the Giants of Sumatra alongside signing of new Strategic Partnership
On 21 January, UK Minister for Indo-Pacific Seema Malhotra and Indonesian Special Presidential Envoy on Energy and Environment Hashim Djojohadikusumo co-hosted a high-level roundtable discussion at Lancaster House, London to mobilise support for the conservation of Indonesia’s unique biodiversity and landscapes, including through the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI), an Indonesian-led conservation effort in Aceh Province, and through a new Iconic Species Investor Working Group to convene international support for Indonesia’s national parks.
The discussion was attended by The President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, government ministers, businesses, philanthropies and representatives from civil society, including the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), and was followed by a short reception attended by His Majesty The King Charles III, who established the CBA as The Prince of Wales to accelerate the transition to a nature-first economy.
PECI is demonstrating how integrated landscape management – bringing together elephant conservation, sustainable agroforestry production, and local economic development – can serve as a practical blueprint for a nature‑first economy in Indonesia. By protecting the critically endangered Sumatran elephants and the forests they depend on, the initiative strengthens the natural harmony between wildlife, landscapes, and the people who live alongside them.
This interconnected relationship will provide important benefits to local communities, including greater climate resilience against disasters such as flash flooding. The initiative also reflects Indonesia’s leadership in biodiversity and climate action, delivered through a transparent, locally-led model supported by international partners, that can be extended to mobilise finance for national parks across the country.
UK Minister for Indo-Pacific Seema Malhotra, said:
“The UK is proud to work with Indonesia to protect nature, including the Sumatran elephants. The PECI project helps look after the environment while supporting local people and jobs. Today’s event shows that by working together we can fight climate change and protect nature at the same time.”
Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia Raja Juli Antoni, said:
“Through the PECI programme in Aceh Province, Indonesia prioritises the protection of the endangered Sumatran elephant. Under the strong leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, the programme was expanded to 90,000 hectares in August 2025. With the full support of the UK Government, and in collaboration with WWF-Indonesia and PT Tusam Hutani Lestari, conservation efforts have been undertaken to promote harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife. PECI shall also focus on agroforestry development, conservation-based ecotourism, and the implementation of the Carbon Economic Value (CEV) as a national conservation role model.”
CEO WWF-Indonesia Aditya Bayunanda, said:
“Protecting the habitat of the Sumatran elephant in the Peusangan landscape is vital for securing essential water sources and carbon sinks to tackle the global climate crisis. This initiative demonstrates how innovative conservation financing can help drive local action to conserve Indonesia’s high-biodiversity areas—spanning up to 93 million hectares—and advance Indonesia’s vision for a climate-resilient future.”
CEO Circular Bioeconomy Alliance Marc Palahí, said:
“This collaboration shows what is possible when we move beyond fragmented approaches and embrace integrated, landscape-level solutions. By combining conservation, sustainable production and local economic development, PECI offers a practical blueprint not only for Aceh, but for landscapes across Indonesia. Through this ‘Living Lab’ in Aceh and our parallel Living Lab with partners in West Java, we are demonstrating how a nature-first economy can be delivered on the ground, protecting biodiversity, strengthening livelihoods and building long-term resilience for people and nature alike.”
Credit: (1) PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo (2) Ben Dance / FCDO
The African NGOs Alliance for Environmental Sustainability (ANAES), established and coordinated by the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS), is an initiative of ARCOS in collaboration with the CBA, which unites 39 African Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) in their mission to protect the environment and promote sustainable development.
In 2025, the CBA supported the coordination of the network with a grant. This has enabled ANAES to carry out its programme of capacity building, community engagement and knowledge exchange.
One of the core achievements of ANAES in 2025 has been strengthening the capacity of its member NGOs across African countries. This has included Training of Trainers to empower local NGOs and community actors in landscape restoration, community engagement, agroforestry, biodiversity, and sustainable land management approaches.
Regional and cross-border exchanges facilitated experiential learning, including a joint field monitoring exchange in Rwanda with eight NGOs, which fostered peer learning, enhanced monitoring skills, and integrated landscape restoration approaches.
In addition, the Africa Champions of Change Performance-Based Competition and Community-to-Community (C2C) Exchange took place in July and August. 2005 Friends of Nature Associations (FNAs) competed from village to district level to exhibit at an event in Kigali and share best practices. The event showcased top performing community groups, fostering peer-to-peer motivation and cross-border collaboration. It highlighted successful business development plans for FNAs, strengthening their governance, strategic planning, and climate-resilient restoration practices.
Guest of Honor from the Ministry of Environment, Rwanda; ARCOS CEO, ANAES Coordination Committee members and participants visiting stands, 2025. Photo credits: ARCOS
Watch Baroness Katherine Willis CBE explore the relationship between nature and human health.
Strong scientific evidence indicates interacting with nature is linked to a whole host of positive physical and mental health outcomes. These include reducing harm (for example lower blood pressure and heart rate), building resilience (for example increased natural killer cells), and restoring capacities (for example faster rates of stress recovery).
Watch Professor Willis explain some of the current scientific knowledge and data gaps.
Her keynote speech was given at the CBA’s second Nature-First Economy event on 15 October 2025, held at St James’s Palace in London.
The ”la Caixa” Foundation became our first CBA Custodian Member. Our Chief Scientist Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza was awarded the Biodiversity Award by the National Biodiversity Future Centre.
The King joined the opening ceremony of the first ever Harmony Summit at Highgrove Gardens which was organised by The King’s Foundation in partnership with the CBA and the Earth Elders.
One of the dialogue circles at the Summit brought together Indigenous leaders, finance practitioners, scientists and policy thinkers to focus on Reimagining Nature Finance.
August
Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Network members were active: in Canada Indigenous knowledge sessions took place as part of the Whitefeather Forest Initiative training programme for young Pikangikum firefighters. In Australia, two new collaborative research projects were awarded funding by the Harmony Centre.
An immersive workshop at Wytham Woods hosted in partnership with the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery at the University of Oxford explored new pathways for nature finance.
The King joined scientists, experts and indigenous leaders at St James’s Palace to explore the role nature plays in health. During the event, the CBA and The King’s Foundation announced a new joint initiative on nature and health at Highgrove Gardens.
We are deeply grateful to our Affiliate Members, donors and those who give their time to support the CBA’s work. Thank you to all those who have collaborated with the CBA in 2025 – we look forward to working together with you in 2026 to regenerate landscapes, support communities and rethink value chains to create a nature-first economy.
Thank you also to our Trustees, staff and Scientific Advisory Board. Our activities would not be possible without you!
The CBA has awarded a grant to support two Indigenous students at the Living School of the Amazon, founded by the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance.
EVA (Escuela Viva de la Amazonía) is an initiative designed to train and support future generations of Indigenous leaders in the Ecuadorian Amazon, providing academic knowledge alongside ancestral wisdom.
The CBA contribution will enable one student from Ecuador and one from Peru to complete their studies, by funding tuition, accommodation and travel support. The students will implement hands-on workshops in their home communities, and take on an internship with their Indigenous organisations focused on ecological stewardship and Indigenous governance.
CBA Affiliate Member the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance represents one of the world’s largest Indigenous-led conservation initiatives. It was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Earthshot Prize, in recognition of its work protecting 35 million hectares (86 million acres) of Amazon rainforest, home to over 30 Indigenous nationalities in Ecuador and Peru.
The core mission of the EVA is to prepare Indigenous youth to lead transformative change from within their territories. “It is inspiring to see EVA alumni stepping into leadership roles, many are now spearheading local conservation efforts, advising their territorial governments and strengthening community governance as elected leaders”, said the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance team.
Our CEO Marc Palahí appears on The Geneva Connection podcast this week, in an episode exploring how science, finance and governance can converge to build a nature-first economy grounded in measurable impact and long-term resilience.
He explains why nature is now financially material and where opportunities are emerging across regenerative agriculture, sustainable forestry and circular bio-based value chains.
Hosted by Karen Hitschke, the podcast also features Margaret Kim, CEO of Gold Standard, who focuses on integrity, outlining how strong baselines, standards and verification make nature-based solutions credible and investable.
Dr Vian Sharif, Founder & President, NatureAlpha, and CBA Ambassador reflects on artificial intelligence and nature
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” – Robert Kennedy
We are positioned at a profound moment of inflection and reflection amidst a world changing at breakneck speed. A moment where the natural world meets the world of artificial intelligence, where the ability to achieve the previously unimaginable at scale meets our personal need for internal peace and connection, and where the vastness of our human potential stretches before us. Yet with great change comes the possibility of great opportunity.
At the cutting edge of our technological revolution are profound advances not only in generative language models, but in generative world models—multi-dimensional representations of our planet and the myriad relationships that operate within it, previously unknown, which are used by AI to make predictions, model outcomes, and ultimately make decisions. Satellite data, on-the-ground monitoring, and scientific research can be processed at a rate faster than ever to surface insights about the natural world that have never before been understood. Significant releases by the world’s largest technology players point to this phenomenon continuing at pace.
But why should we care? Because with these tools applied to better understand our natural world, invisible connections become visible.
This is useful intelligence.
How business intersects with our natural world is no longer hidden. Instead, it is now within our grasp to understand in ways that were previously inaccessible and model the future. How water supply in our vast programme of data centre expansion will dwindle or lead to flooding as nature fades, how implementing mitigation or circular practices within a business process can minimise risks to operational capacity and lower the cost of capital, or how nature is protected where it should be, in service to all citizens of our common home, can be revealed. Where, how, and when we make these decisions can be evaluated, measured, and implemented.
Yet this also reveals a paradox. In talking with indigenous peoples, these connections are not new, but ancient. These are relationships between systems, animal and mineral, that have been mapped over generations and centuries. The ebb and flow of life is central to multi-generational decision-making. And every one of their decisions depends on nature, whose services support us in every single facet of our lives – from feeding us to enabling our businesses to function.
These insights, which to us are newly revealed, are, instead, helping us remember what these custodians of nature have always known.
As the work of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance has shown already, with the arrival of our times and our technology, we have been given an opportunity to reimagine. The creation of the AI Fellowship for a Nature Positive Economy serves this and nature’s mission.
These new insights provide a powerful leverage point. Intersect this with the potential leverage achieved when deployed across our private, financial and public sector decision-making, and the opportunity to bend the arc to write the positive history of our generation is surely unimaginably compounded.
This Living Lab aims to support herder communities to produce regenerative pashmina – fibre that is not only of exceptional quality but also nurtures the land and the people who depend on it.
In the remote high-altitude plateau of Changthang in the Himalayas, pashmina production is more than a tradition – it is the heartbeat of local life. For centuries, the nomadic Changpa herders have relied on the fine wool of the Changthangi goat for mobility, craftsmanship and cultural identity. In this harsh environment, where agriculture is limited, the herding, combing and weaving of pashmina is central to community livelihoods and preserves an ancient heritage that links community, culture and the fragile mountain ecosystem.
In 2022, a feasibility study identified two key challenges: limited access to fodder crops and increasing youth out-migration, leading to a loss of traditional knowledge. In response, the 2023 pilot phase (Living Lab 1.0) prioritised fodder security, youth engagement and entrepreneurship development, laying the groundwork for long-term resilience of the landscape and also the rural economy. Building on the pilot phase, the second phase of the Living Lab started in 2025.
This Living Lab has been established by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), with the support of the Brunello Cucinelli Casa di Moda, together with the Sustainable Markets Initiative and in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), the Thiksay Foundation, and the Ladakh Council of India.
Our CEO Marc Palahí was a keynote speaker at the Corso Evoluzione Internazionale Apoteca Natura in Venice, Italy on 11 November. He introduced the CBA to more than 500 healthcare professionals from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France, exploring how we can reimagine our world around nature.
Marc’s address on “nature-based solutions for a new vision” explained how our economy powered by fossil resources has reached a tipping point, and how we need a paradigm shift to an economy powered by nature. The CBA’s Living Labs are aiming to catalyse this nature-first transition by activating, advancing and sharing knowledge through transformative partnerships and demonstration projects on the ground.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) is growing, and we are looking to expand the team. The CBA intends to recruit an experienced and dedicated Director of Strategic Relations and Memberships; we need this individual to play a central part in shaping and delivering against the CBA strategic plan. The Director of Strategic Relations and Memberships will be responsible for building and manging key collaborations and partnerships while overseeing member recruitment, engagement, donations, and retention to drive organisational growth and long-term value. We are searching for a dynamic and proactive candidate.
The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker who is able to turn vision into action and is adaptable and comfortable in a fast-growing, mission-driven organisation with international scope. The candidate needs significant experience in a senior role.
Location: Preferably London but must be based in the UK. A regular presence in London is required, minimum 2 days per week (with potential international travel as needed).
Application process: Interested candidates should submit their cv and a cover letter explaining how they can add value and make an important contribution to the CBA. Please send this to the email address “” and include “Director of Strategic Relations and Memberships” in the subject line.
Deadline for applications: 23.59 on 30 November 2025. We encourage early applications as interviews may take place before the closing date.
Right to work in the UK: Applicant must already have the right to work in the UK.
Equal opportunities: Here at the CBA, we’re committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We want to be an organisation that’s representative of the beneficiaries we serve, which is why we strive for diversity of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion and sex. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone, from any background, can be themselves and do the best work of their lives. We are looking for people that can bring different perspectives and experiences.
Recruitment agencies: Please do not contact us about this role, as we prefer to hire people directly. We’ll be in touch if we need you!
First tangible results from the Apulia Regenerative Cotton Project
The Apulia Regenerative Cotton Project (a CBA Living Lab 1.0) was created to develop an experimental regenerative cotton site to test and scientifically assess sustainable cotton production through the application of regenerative agroforestry techniques in Italy. It was launched in June 2023 in collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative Fashion Task Force, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and the Armani Group, and coordinated by the European Forest Institute (EFI) together with the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics of Italy (CREA) and PRETATERRA.
Two years on, the project has already produced its first tangible results.
The CBA’s Trustee Federico Marchetti visited the project site in November 2025, together with the CBA Chief Scientist Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza, and Giuseppe Marsocci (CEO, Georgio Armani Group), Chiara Zaganelli (Director General, CREA) and Andrea Camerana (Board Member, Armani).
Sowing
Following the first cotton plantation with rows of peach trees on 1 hectare of land in 2023, cultivation was gradually expanded the following year, integrating poplar and pomegranate trees, and covering a total of 3 hectares (0.6 ha in agroforestry and 2.4 ha in monoculture). During the third year, cotton was sown alternately with rows of carob, fig and mulberry trees, totalling approximately 5.2 hectares (3.6 ha in agroforestry and 1.6 ha in monoculture). This expansion exceeded the initial five-year target of 5 hectares ahead of schedule.
Harvest
A total of 2,400 kg of regenerative cotton was harvested in the first year, and 3,000 kg in the second.
Another key milestone was the creation of the first garment made entirely from regenerative cotton, so-called because it derives from crops grown using agroforestry systems and agricultural practices that promote biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration, while reducing emissions, chemical use and water consumption.
Approximately 1,000 T-shirts were produced with the cotton obtained from the first sowing. Made entirely from Regenagri-certified cotton, the T-shirts feature a QR code and digital passport to guarantee authenticity and traceability. Certification extends across the entire supply chain, ensuring full traceability of the product and its chain of custody. From cultivation and processing to weaving, manufacturing, packaging and sale, every supplier involved is audited to obtain Regenagri certification.
Stopping global warming is essential if we want to achieve sustainability and meet the Paris Agreement goals. However, the global economy will need to decarbonise at least five times faster than it is currently doing, to limit global warming to “well below 2 °C”.
Positive ‘tipping points’ where low-carbon transitions become self-propelling could be key to ensuring this acceleration and making it hard to reverse. These tipping points don’t just happen in sectors like energy or transport, but also in nature and regeneration.
But how can we credibly identify them? A new scientific paper sets out a methodology for identifying potential positive tipping points, the factors that can influence them, and the actions to trigger them.
The framework proposed in the paper offers a simple but powerful process:
Map the system – who are the key actors? What are the feedback loops?
Look for leverage – what factors (eg cost, access or social acceptance) are holding change back, or could speed it up?
Trigger strategically – introduce targeted actions (eg pilot projects) that shift behaviours and start reinforcing feedback.
The framework asks a series of questions, which can be applied to a system of interest – for example a sector of the economy responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions like transport, or a sector in a particular country or city. This can also be applied in nature-based sectors too, such as food, agriculture, fisheries and land use.
Lenton et al, 2025
Is there potential for a positive tipping point?
Is there evidence that this system or an analogous system has tipped in the past or elsewhere?
Are there reinforcing feedbacks in this system that could become strong enough to overwhelm balancing feedbacks and support self-propelling change?
Can the nature and/or proximity of a tipping point be quantified?
Are there continuous data that describe the overall behaviour of the system in time?
Are there process-specific data that can quantify causal interactions, learning rates, and feedback loops?
Can the factors that most affect the tipping point be identified?
What do models reveal? Are detailed case studies available?
Can actions that bring forward the tipping point be identified?
The paper invites researchers to help refine this methodology further, and sets out suggestions for further work to improve it and make it more applicable.
More information
Lenton, T.M., Powell, T.W.R., Smith, S.R. et al. A method to identify positive tipping points to accelerate low-carbon transitions and actions to trigger them. Sustain Sci (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-025-01704-9
The CBA’s Chief Programmes Officer Talia Smith is a co-author.
We are pleased to announce that Theodora Ewer has joined the CBA as the Senior Head of Programme Implementation.
Theodora has over six years’ experience working at the intersection of climate, nature and food systems, with a background in coalition management, strategic advisory and systems change thinking.
Prior to joining the CBA, Theodora worked at Systemiq in London, where she led multi-stakeholder coalitions and advised governments, businesses and international organisations on their food and agriculture strategies. Her work focused on advancing regenerative agriculture and supporting policies that promote nature-positive and climate-resilient food systems.
Theodora holds a First-Class Honours degree in Geography from the University of Exeter. She recently spent time in south-eastern Madagascar volunteering with a conservation and community development programme, supporting biodiversity monitoring, local reforestation and environmental education.
Scientists, experts, business and indigenous leaders have come together to highlight the fundamental role that nature plays in human health, at a Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) event in London.
An inspiring afternoon of expert panel discussions and a collaborative workshop was followed by an evening reception, which was joined by The King.
The afternoon’s discussions focused on how the latest scientific knowledge can be translated into business, practice and policy to unlock the transformative potential of nature as the basis for human health. This emphasized four key areas: risks to health caused by escalating climate and nature crises, for example wildfires; the benefits of exposure to nature on physical and mental health and what this means for urban design; how biodiversity affects the composition and health of our bodies and provides and inspires medicines; and what Indigenous wisdom together with science can tell us about nature and human health.
The conversations that unfolded throughout the afternoon also addressed the need for a new mindset that connects science, philosophy and indigenous wisdom as a basis for transforming our economy around Nature – a ‘Nature-First economy’.
“We must rethink our relationship with nature to address the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and human health. The way we build our cities, manage our landscapes and produce our food are major causes behind the crisis, but also offer opportunities to move from the current vicious cycle to a virtuous one centred around nature. Science and technology are not enough to drive change at the scale needed. A new paradigm consisting of new concepts, perceptions, practices and values is necessary to create a world that prospers within nature and not apart from it”, said Marc Palahi, CEO of the CBA.
In the evening, The King joined a reception where he met with scientists, experts, companies and investors working to accelerate the transition towards nature-and-health positive businesses, and viewed an exhibition on nature, bioeconomy and health.
New scientific initiative with The King’s Foundation at Highgrove
During the event, the CBA and The King’s Foundation announced a new joint initiative on nature and health at Highgrove Gardens.
The project scientifically evaluates methods of assessing health and exposure to nature, measuring connections between biodiversity, the environment and human health. Using innovative digital tools, this project will track health in real time, providing evidence around specific nature-based solutions for communities.
“I am proud to work with our sister organization, The King’s Foundation, to advance and share knowledge regarding the benefits of nature and its biodiversity in human health and wellbeing. This is the first of a future network of Living Labs in this area”, said Marc Palahí.
“Our charitable mission is to promote Harmony with nature, and this new project will go a long way to demonstrate the tangible health benefits of the natural world – something we have long been passionate about. We are delighted to be working with the CBA again to further this area of study”, said Simon Sadinsky, Executive Director for Education at The King’s Foundation.
Combating climate-related risks to health
The event saw the CBA announce its first Custodian Member, the ”la Caixa” Foundation, one of the largest charities in the world. As a Custodian Member, la Caixa Foundation will support the CBA in its activities to address the accelerating problem of wildfires and water-related disturbances, such droughts and floods, which affect human safety, health and wellbeing. New initiatives will follow in the coming months.
New Fellowship in Artificial Intelligence
The event also marked the launch of the pioneering CBA Fellowship in Artificial Intelligence for a Nature-First Economy, supported by NatureAlpha. The Fellowship will explore how AI can support our understanding and management of complex socio-ecological systems, leveraging cutting-edge technology to support monitoring and evaluation in projects.
About the CBA
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) was established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales), and became a registered charity in September 2023. The CBA aims to accelerate the transition to a nature-first economy that is both powered by nature and prospers in harmony with it. It delivers transformative impact at scale through its global network of Living Labs that blend science, technology and indigenous knowledge to holistically regenerate landscapes, support communities and rethink value chains.
Background
Nature is the keystone infrastructure regulating our planetary system, including its climate, the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. As humans, we are an integral part of nature – and our safety, and physical and mental health and well-being are dependent on nature’s health. Nature’s ability to provide healthy soils, fresh water and productive crops, is also fundamental to economic and social stability.
Photo credits: Aaron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty Images Ian Jones
CBA CEO Marc Palahí was a keynote speaker at the first Regenerative Capital Market Day held at the London Stock Exchange on 8 October, speaking about the transition towards a circular bioeconomy powered by nature.
The event brought together capital markets leaders to explore regenerative agriculture and forestry as a mainstream investment opportunity.
Marc’s vision address focused on how we need to rethink our economy around nature, and move towards a circular bioeconomy. He explained how our economy powered by fossil resources has reached a tipping point, and how we need a paradigm shift to an economy powered by nature. The CBA’s Living Labs are aiming to catalyse this nature-first transition by activating, advancing and sharing knowledge through transformative partnerships and demonstration projects on the ground. This provides a proof of concept to redesign landscapes and supply chains holistically.
“A nature-first economy is about investing in nature to transform our economy, rather than to offset for its failure”, said Marc.
Marc’s speech was complemented by Justin Adams, the CBA’s Reimagining Nature Finance Fellow, whose presentation highlighted the work of the fellowship and the new essay, Designing for Life: Reimagining Nature Finance.
The CBA warmly thanks Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, who is stepping down from the Board of Trustees at the end of his two-year term. We are very grateful for his wise counsel, trust and commitment to the CBA during his time in office, supporting the first two years of the CBA.
Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber
As the founding director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Professor Schellnhuber led the institute from 1992 to 2018. He also served as research director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in Great Britain from 2001 to 2005. Since December 2023, Schellnhuber has been appointed as the Director General of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg, Austria. He is member of numerous learned societies, including the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the German National Academy Leopoldina, the US National Academy of Sciences, the Academia Europaea, and the Academy of Athens. Throughout his career, Schellnhuber has received several notable awards, such as the German Environmental Prize (2007), the Volvo Environmental Prize (2011), the Blue Planet Prize (2017), and the Ratio et Spes Prize (2021). In 2022, Schellnhuber was also awarded the Honorary Edition of the German Sustainability Prize for his “enormous influence on science, politics, and business by developing and communicating sustainable solutions to the global environmental crisis”.
He acted as a scientific advisor to a number of eminent public and religious leaders, including the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission Presidents José Manuel Barroso and Ursula von der Leyen, and Pope Francis. For 28 continuous years, he has served as a member and chair of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) since its establishment in 1992. He contributed in various ways to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
In recognition of his achievements, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber received several prestigious honors, including being named a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II (2004). He was also awarded the Order of Merit of the State of Brandenburg (2008), the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2011) and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, of the Japanese Government (2020). In 2021, Schellnhuber received the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and became Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur of the French Republic.
A provocative new essay aims to stimulate deep reflection, conversation and creativity around the topic of nature finance.
The twin crises of climate change and ecological collapse are accelerating, threatening the very systems that sustain life. In response, nature finance has moved rapidly into the mainstream. New funds, standards, and markets are emerging at pace to raise more ‘nature-positive’ capital, yet this framing fails to ask the deeper question of why capital has been misallocated in the first place.
As a result, instead of tipping us toward something new, many efforts to raise natural capital frequently reinforce and help justify the very structures we most need to transform. The finance system remains trapped in a dominant design that privileges financial legibility and near-term payback over deeper forms of value. The dominant logics of risk, return, and growth continue to drive ecological breakdown.
Mobilising more capital will never be enough if finance itself is not redefined and reimagined to serve life. At stake is not only how much capital is deployed, but what is valued, who decides, and whose voices are heard.
Dare to dream of a different future
Designing for Life: Reimagining Nature Finance explores how finance might be designed differently, drawing on the deep design traits of nature itself. It seeks to identify both where we can push the boundaries of innovation from within the existing extractive system, and where we can cultivate new innovation that systematically transforms the finance system based on the design traits of nature.
The essay proposes a compass to guide practitioners to imagine and cultivate the emergence of a new system through six potential archetypes, based on real life experimentation. These include, for example, models of indigenous-led sovereign finance and also the use of technology to enable commons-based financing mechanisms.
These models are early proof of practice, suggesting that finance can be redesigned to be anchored in place, give legitimacy to those who steward the land, and understand value not only in monetary terms, but in terms of care, continuity, and belonging.
Finance is ultimately a story of what we value, how we grow, and who decides. That story can change — indeed, it must. The invitation is to begin again, not by asking how to fit nature into finance, but how to build finance that belongs to the living world.
The publication has been led by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance Reimagining Nature Finance Fellow, Justin Adams, with the support of Ostara, Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, and the University of Oxford.
Two years ago I stepped away from a high-profile role at the frontier of nature finance. For nearly two decades I worked to make nature investable and build coalitions for action, believing these efforts could tip the balance. Yet for all this effort, nature loss was still accelerating. I began to see how much of what we called progress was simply greening the system rather than transforming it. That was when I realised the deeper challenge: the question is not only how we mobilise more nature finance, but how we confront the nature of finance itself.
Our financial system is extraordinarily resilient. It speaks the language of change, yet its core logics remain intact: the pursuit of risk-adjusted returns, the primacy of financial capital, and the illusion of endless growth. As long as we stay in that orbit, most innovations are absorbed back into the dominant system. We cannot simply optimise, we must also reimagine.
Today we launch an essay that is the first fruit of the Fellowship I am shaping with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. Together with the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery at Oxford and my colleagues at Ostara, the essay diagnoses design flaws in today’s system, explores how finance might be redesigned for life, and offers glimpses of alternatives already taking root. Its core message is simple. We must walk a twin trail. One foot inside the system, pushing it to its limits. One foot outside, imagining and nurturing what cannot yet fit. Both paths are essential if we are to shift from breakdown toward renewal.
The essay also served as a pre-read for an imaginal gathering we held earlier in September in Wytham Woods outside Oxford, co-hosted with the Leverhulme Centre. Designed by Ostara and Kate Raworth of Doughnut Economics Action Lab, it brought forty leaders together under canvas and in the forest. We asked not only what must change in finance, but what it might mean to imagine it working differently.
Around fire circles and walking dialogues we asked three simple questions. What must we let go of in the current system. Where can we push harder from within. What might it mean to step outside altogether. As we stress-tested the essay’s provocations, a set of seeds began to take shape.
Among them were ideas for a future generations fund that puts tomorrow’s citizens and nature in the room for investment decisions. A bioregional treasury in Gabon to sustain intact landscapes and shared livelihoods. A networked forest of community-led organisations, using digital tools to make hidden ecological and social value visible and exchangeable. And a Wytham Woods Invitation to gather these insights into clear principles for the road ahead.
None of these is a finished blueprint. They are living experiments, fragile and full of potential. What matters is not whether every seed grows, but that they stretch our imagination of what finance might become if we unshackle it from what we assume is fixed. They complement the essay’s core argument and invite us to glimpse a future that is not yet visible, but possible. We can add to them. And we need more spaces for reimagining, with more support for bold experiments that push the boundaries of what finance can be. Wytham showed what becomes possible when we create room to dream together.
The path ahead will be shaped by the choices we make about finance. It can continue to accelerate collapse, or it can be redesigned in service to life.
This essay serves as a provocation. I invite you to read it, sit with its questions, and join us in asking: what kind of finance would truly serve life?
Designing for Life: Reimagining Nature Finance Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, Ostara, Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, University of Oxford
We are delighted to announce that Antoni Trasobares has joined the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance team as the Director of Wildfire Resilience.
Antoni is the CEO at the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC). Since 2017 he has led CTFC development to become a centre of reference in the European context, by establishing a hub of excellence in research, innovation and technology transfer towards society.
He is also the coordinator of the FIRE-RES project, focusing on the mitigation of extreme wildfire events by a holistic approach towards resilient landscapes.
Antoni’s professional career has been related to research, technology transfer and applied projects in forest management and the environment in general. Prior to joining CTFC he was General Director of Natural Resources and Biodiversity of the Catalan Government, research assistant at ETH Zurich, and a consultant.
Antoni holds a PhD in forest planning and economics from the University of Joensuu and master’s in forestry engineering from the University of Joensuu and Lleida. He is the author of more than 30 scientific publications.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rafael Camargo as the first CBA Fellow on Artificial Intelligence for a Nature-First Economy.
Supported financially by NatureAlpha, the Fellowship aims to link nature, finance and AI capabilities, leveraging cutting-edge technology to support monitoring and evaluation in the CBA’s projects globally.
CBA CEO Marc Palahí said: “AI technology has great potential but also risks for Nature and humanity. Artificial Intelligence can add exponential value to Living Intelligence if harnessed in a transparent, meaningful, and ethical way. The CBA is immensely grateful to NatureAlpha for funding this pioneering Fellowship, which will explore how AI can support our understanding and management of complex socio-ecological systems.”
Vian Sharif, Founder and President of NatureAlpha said: “We are at a pivotal juncture for nature and biodiversity, where the advancement of AI and technology can fundamentally impact the accessibility of quality nature data. This in turn has the potential to help deliver meaningful real world action, supporting NatureAlpha and CBA’s shared principles of accelerating the transition to a nature-first economy. We are extremely excited to partner with CBA on the launch of its AI Fellowship. Rafael’s knowledge, experience and passion make him exceptionally well placed to deliver on the fellowship’s key objectives.”
The Fellowship aims to operationalise the principles and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) outlined in the CBA Principles for Regenerative Landscapes and the forthcoming CBA Monitoring and Evaluation Handbook. It will deliver innovative solutions and digital tools that support and empower CBA partners to design, monitor and report their Living Labs.
Key objectives include:
providing insights on the role of AI in advancing the monitoring, tracking, and implementation of landscape regeneration, while enhancing transparency and accountability
creating comprehensive, interoperable data layers that provide insights into biodiversity, ecosystem services, and circular bioeconomy indicators in space and time
developing user-friendly platforms, APIs, or tools that enable the CBA monitoring and evaluation framework to utilise data for decision-making, tracking progress, and impact assessment
ensuring research and tools are responsive to real-world needs and are applied effectively, by collaborating with CBA Affiliate Members, Living Lab partners as well as other stakeholders.
The new Fellow Rafael Camargo has a background in geospatial data science and is passionate about harnessing nature data and artificial intelligence to advance corporate sustainability and accelerate the transition towards a nature-positive, circular bioeconomy. He is Head of Geospatial Engineering at NatureAlpha, where he leads the development of innovative data-driven tools that enable businesses and financial institutions to assess and manage their nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities.
Prior to joining NatureAlpha, Rafael was a senior consultant at BCG/Quantis, advising major corporations on sustainability strategies, and before that he worked at WWF, where he managed data and technology for the Water Risk Filter and Biodiversity Risk Filter. He has contributed to global sustainability frameworks and guidance, including the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), and the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB).
More information
About the CBA
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) was established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales), and became a registered charity in September 2023. The CBA aims to accelerate the transition to a nature-first economy that is both powered by nature and prospers in harmony with it. It delivers transformative impact at scale through its global network of Living Labs that blend science, technology and indigenous knowledge to holistically regenerate landscapes, support communities and rethink value chains.
About NatureAlpha
NatureAlpha provides AI and data-driven insights to support a range of solutions including nature and biodiversity risk-related metrics, indexed products, compliance tools and nature-linked financial consulting. NatureAlpha utilises curated datasets from the world’s most authoritative scientific, regulatory, corporate and governmental sources including internationally agreed goals as detailed in the Convention for Biodiversity and IUCN, and in line with the Task Force for Nature-related Financial Disclosures’ framework.
Later this week a remarkable group will gather in Wytham Woods, the ancient woodland on the edge of Oxford. The gathering forms part of the CBA Fellowship on Reimagining Nature Finance, and is hosted in partnership with the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery at the University of Oxford.
The studio has been co-designed by Ostara and Kate Raworth, whose thinking on Doughnut Economics continues to inspire new ways of shaping finance in service to life. The CBA is proud to support this experimental convening, recognising the urgent need to reimagine financial systems so they can help restore balance with the living world.
For three days participants will camp together in the woods, stepping away from the pace of daily work to create the conditions for deeper imagination. The aim is to explore the edges of the current system: how far can we push existing finance to serve life, and what models and tools can be trialled within it to unlock transformation. At the same time, we will look for emergent approaches that sit outside today’s system but may hold the potential to scale and shift the field of nature finance altogether.
The design of the studio is intentionally immersive. Time in nature, shared meals, and space for reflection will balance structured sessions on key themes. The hope is to create an environment where new ideas can be tested, trusted relationships can form, and bold possibilities can surface.
This work builds on the CBA Fellowship’s commitment to finding new pathways and partnerships for aligning finance with the living world. At the end of September, we will be publishing a long-form essay, Designing for Life: Reimagining Nature Finance, offering a wider audience the chance to engage with the ideas discussed at this unique gathering.
We look forward to sharing reflections as the seeds planted in the woods begin to grow.
Photo: Wolfgang Hasselmann, Unsplash
Justin Adams is the CBA Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Fellow for Reimagining Nature Finance and Inclusive Capitalism. Read more
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is delighted to announce that technology entrepreneur and sustainable fashion pioneer Federico Marchetti has been appointed to the CBA Board of Trustees.
Federico founded YOOX – the world’s first lifestyle e-commerce destination – in 2000 and in 2015 led the merger of YOOX and Net-a-Porter to create the world leader in online luxury fashion, which was acquired by Richemont in 2018.
Federico is Chair of the Sustainable Markets Initiative Fashion Task Force, which unites global luxury groups around a common goal of shifting towards a circular industry that is climate and nature- positive. He has collaborated with the CBA to develop Living Labs on regenerative cotton in Italy (in partnership with Giorgio Armani) and regenerative pashmina in the Himalayan Ladakh region (in partnership with Brunello Cucinelli).
In 2017 Federico was recognized by the President of the Italian Republic who knighted him as a Cavaliere. In 2019 Federico was honoured with the amfAR Award of Courage.
In addition to his role at the CBA, Federico is a Board Member of Giorgio Armani, a Board Member of Highgrove Gardens, and a Trustee of The King’s Foundation.
Congratulations to the Harmony Centre 2025 Seed Funding Scheme Recipients!
The Australian Harmony Centre for Ecosystem Futures is a unique alliance between Macquarie University and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. The Centre’s overarching philosophy is of connection, bringing together researchers with the local community and businesses, students, Indigenous groups, industry and government to develop, test and showcase holistic solutions for both nature and human health and well-being.
Two projects have been awarded funding of $10,000 each from the Harmony Centre 2025 Seed Funding Scheme. The scheme is designed to promote collaborative research consistent with the aims of enabling nature to prosper and for people to prosper in nature.
Sounds of the city: Using soundscapes to benchmark and inform urban waterway restoration, led by Dr. Alexandra Carthey and Dr. Caragh Threlfall with Professor Donna Houston, Professor Kirstie Fryirs, Associate Professor Melanie Bishop and Alice Howie. The team will integrate expertise through development of innovative ways of monitoring, understanding, and communicating the effects of human actions on waterway and riparian ecosystem health within an urban river catchment.
Understanding lightscapes for wildlife and healthy urban ecosystems led by Dr. Laura Ryan and Dr. Louise Tosetto with Professor Nathan Hart, Associate Professor Noushin Nasiri and John Macris. The team will refine an innovative, field-ready system for quantifying and mapping environmental lightscapes across the Wallamattagal Urban Living Lab.
We extend our warmest congratulations to the recipients and look forward to seeing the exciting outcomes of their work.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) is growing, and we are looking to expand the team. The CBA intends to recruit an experienced and dedicated Programme Associate; we need this individual to drive delivery of CBA Living Labs, strengthen internal programme systems, facilitate communication and knowledge exchange across the CBA network and contribute to fundraising and reporting. We are searching for a dynamic and proactive candidate.
The ideal candidate will have experience in programme coordination, demonstrate an interest or background in environmental sustainability, climate, development, strong project management skills and excellent organisational and time-management skills with a strong focus on written and verbal communication competences.
Location: Preferably London but must be based in the UK. A regular presence in London is required, minimum 2 days per week (with potential international travel to Living Labs and partner sites as needed).
Application process: Interested candidates should submit their cv and a cover letter explaining how they can add value and make an important contribution to the CBA. Please send this to the email address and include “Programme Associate” in the subject line.
Deadline for applications: 23.59 on 21 September 2025
Right to work in the UK – Applicant must already have the right to work in the UK.
Equal opportunities – Here at the CBA, we’re committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We want to be an organisation that’s representative of the beneficiaries we serve, which is why we strive for diversity of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion and sex. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone, from any background, can be themselves and do the best work of their lives. We are looking for people that can bring different perspectives and experiences.
Recruitment agencies – Please do not contact us about this role, as we prefer to hire people directly. We’ll be in touch if we need you!
By Mere Takoko, CBA Ambassador, and Justin Adams, CBA Reimagining Nature Finance Fellow
As part of the first Harmony Summit at Highgrove House in early July, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance facilitated two of the four intimate dialogue circles. One of these focused on Reimagining Nature Finance. Twenty people gathered in the gardens, bringing together Indigenous leaders, finance practitioners, scientists and policy thinkers to sit with one powerful question:
What if finance were truly in service of life?
The meeting started with the Pacific Whale Fund as an example to open the conversation. CBA Ambassador Mere Takoko, who co-founded the Fund with economist Ralph Chami, described how it brings together Indigenous governance, science and finance in service of the ocean. She spoke of whales not as biodiversity or carbon assets, but as ancestors, and of the need for finance to honour that sacredness.
Ralph shared how science can make nature’s value visible to markets, not to commodify it, but to redirect private capital at the scale needed for protection. His decades in global finance have shown him that shifting market flows can be a powerful lever, but only if the work remains grounded in ecological truth.
From there, the conversation widened. Indigenous leaders from the Caribbean, Aotearoa, the Amazon, Hawai‘i and Colombia, alongside finance experts, conservationists and system innovators, shared experiences of protecting land and water. Principles voiced again and again included reducing intermediaries between funders and communities, recognising cultural and spiritual value alongside ecological and financial measures, ensuring local governance of funds, and supporting livelihoods with dignity.
As the discussion deepened, a central tension came into view. Should we work to reform the current financial system, adjusting incentives and redirecting flows? Or should we reimagine finance entirely, drawing on values and cosmologies that have sustained life for millennia? Some argued that after decades of incremental change, transformation will only come through new models. Others saw urgent opportunities to work within existing systems while building the bridges to what comes next.
Rather than seeking a resolution, the group recognised the need to walk both paths, improving what exists while also prototyping finance that truly reflects relational values and ecological rhythms.
The session closed with a shared sense of possibility and responsibility. In the words of one participant, the Earth already knows how to heal. Our task is to listen more deeply and learn how to get out of her way.
More information
The Harmony Summit was organised by The King’s Foundation in partnership with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and the Earth Elders. It brought together indigenous leaders, practitioners and policy makers with the aim of listening and learning from each other, and to explore how Harmony in practice can be embedded across a range of sectors, landscapes and geographies. Read more
Justin Adams is the CBA Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Fellow for Reimagining Nature Finance and Inclusive Capitalism. Read more
Photo: Courtney Louise Photography / The King’s Foundation
We are pleased to announce that Maryam Ahmed has joined the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance team as Senior Administrator.
Maryam brings over six years of experience in executive support and operational roles across the corporate, consultancy, and financial sectors. She has worked closely with senior leadership teams, providing high-level administrative support, coordinating complex schedules and travel, and assisting events and HR functions.
After completing her BA in Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London, Maryam went on to earn an MBA from the University of East London. Maryam has since built a career characterised by attention to detail, discretion, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Executive PA (Level 7) and is a current member of the Chartered Management Institute.
The Whitefeather Forest Initiative training programme for young Pikangikum firefighters continues. In June, Indigenous knowledge sessions took place against the backdrop of fires raging just a few hundred kilometers from the community centre. The smell of smoke permeated the air and pieces of ash and soot constantly rained from the sky. This inescapable reality elevated the sense of urgency and the weight of the training.
Trainees had the opportunity to listen to elders speak in Ojibwe about their experience on the fire. They also had the chance to ask them questions such as “What was the biggest fire you ever worked on?”, “What is camp like?”, “What did you do when you were scared?”, “How do you take care of mental health on fires?” amongst many more.
The Whitefeather Forest Initiative is a member of the Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Network, a joint initiative between the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and the Commonwealth Secretariat which aims to connect and share unique indigenous and community knowledge and experience in wildfire management with scientific knowledge and tools. WFI is excited to share learnings from the Indigenous knowledge sessions and the firefighter trainings with the larger global community in the network soon.
There is growing concern around the environmental impacts of cotton fibre production, including high water consumption, high synthetic inputs like fertilizers and pesticides, as well as soil degradation, loss of biodiversity and water pollution. Regenerative and agroforesty-based cotton production has emerged as a sustainable nature-based solution to overcome environmental and socioeconomic challenges. However, knowledge on and uptake of regenerative practices is often limited and fragmented.
New research from the CBA in collaboration with Affiliate Members EFI and Pretaterra, as well as CREA shows cotton-based agroforestry production systems could be a potential entry point for regenerative practices in the Mediterranean region and beyond.
Agroforestry (integrating trees with crops and/or livestock) in the Mediterranean dates to the Neolithic period, with a variety of trees and management systems used since. The most common agroforestry systems today are olive cultivation with understorey grazing by goats and sheep.
However, agroforestry could be one of the main options to overcome land scarcity and integrate cotton in the Mediterranean region. Adding trees to cotton would provide multipurpose products (food, fodder, fuelwood and timber) and diversify incomes, as well as the trees providing ecological benefits for understory crops. There are several potential trees which could be integrated with cotton in agroforestry systems in the Mediterranean such as poplar, olive, oak, chestnut, carob, apple, peach, almond and date trees.
What regenerative practices could be used?
Regenerative soil management practices in cotton production include zero or minimum tillage, and the use of cover crops, mulches and green manures to improve soil fertility, conserve water, increase yields, reduce emissions and enhance biodiversity. Cover crops are also used to suppress weeds, alongside weed management practices such as rotation with legume crops, appropriate sowing timing and plant spacing.
What would be the benefits?
Making the conventional cotton production sector regenerative could reduce the negative environmental footprint, promote the resilience of farming systems to climate extremes and increase economic profitability with product diversification. It would also improve soil health, reduce chemical inputs, increase biodiversity and enhance the quality and quantity of water available, as well as enhancing carbon sequestration.
What are the challenges?
Challenges such as scalability, knowledge transfer, and farmer adoption limit the widespread use of regenerative practices. Supportive policies, education and stakeholder collaboration are needed to aid implementation and dissemination of practices.
More information
Negash, M., Tegegne, Y.T., Palahi, M. et al. Overview of regenerative and agroforestry-based cotton systems in the Mediterranean and beyond: a review. Agroforest Syst99, 117 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-025-01207-7
CBA Affiliate Members gather to hear about progress and plans
The CBA brought together its global network of Affiliate Members on 9 July for a virtual meeting, to hear the latest updates on the CBA’s strategy, progress and future plans.
Updates from the team showcased the CBA’s strategy and developments, including progress across its Living Labs, as they move from phase 1.0 to 2.0. For example, Living Labs are advancing in Italy on regenerative cotton and on medicinal plants, as well as in the Himalayas on regenerative pashmina. A new Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) handbook will be developed in collaboration with Nature-Based Insights to implement a rigorous assessment framework, in collaboration with many CBA Affiliate Members.
Other key activities highlighted included the CBA Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Fellowship on Reimagining Nature Finance and Inclusive Capitalism, which has begun with an ambitious workplan for the year, as well as the ongoing activities within the Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Network.
The meeting concluded with a call for continued collaboration and knowledge exchange, as the CBA scopes future projects.
At the CBA, we work with an extraordinary team of people, including employees, secondees, consultants and volunteers.
We are very grateful to those who generously give their time to the CBA in an honorary capacity, to help us deliver transformative impact on the ground.
Meet our newest colleagues:
Jasbir Nizar, Honorary Role – Strategic Advisor to the CBA
With a background in law and over 25 years of extensive experience in finance and the banking sector, Jasbir brings a diverse skill set and strategic perspective to her work. Her career includes leadership roles at RBS, Citi and LOIM, where she managed teams across HR, Sales, Marketing and Product Development. In addition to her financial expertise, she has developed strong client-facing relationships and worked closely with clients in the nature and sustainability sectors. This experience has deepened her understanding of environmental challenges and opportunities. She is passionate about mobilising finance for nature first investments.
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Taraneh Azad, Honorary Role – Strategic Advisor to the CBA
Taraneh is a Partner at Systemiq, a sustainability advisory and investment business. Previously, she was Systemiq’s Managing Partner from 2021 – 2024. Before joining Systemiq, Taraneh spent over 25 years’ in finance through senior positions in the commodities business of major investment institutions, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Hartree. She worked mostly with corporates and sovereigns in Europe and the Middle East on their commodity price risks. She started her career in international development at the United Nations.
His Majesty The King earlier this week attended the Opening Ceremony of the first ever ‘Harmony Summit’ at Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire, UK.
The Harmony Summit, which was organised by The King’s Foundation in partnership with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and the Earth Elders, brought together indigenous leaders, practitioners and policy makers with the aim of listening and learning from each other, and to explore how Harmony in practice can be embedded across a range of sectors, landscapes and geographies.
The Summit focused on attendees listening to and learning from the indigenous leaders and communities represented about their relationship with nature, and how this can inform the philosophy and practice of Harmony going forward.
A book on the Harmony philosophy, Harmony: A New Way of Looking at the World, was published by His Majesty as Prince of Wales in 2010. Co-authored by Tony Juniper and Ian Skelly, ‘Harmony’ describes the interconnectedness within and between nature and humanity, and offers this interconnectedness as a basis for taking a holistic approach to the challenges facing the planet and our communities, including living with nature, not against it. ‘Harmony’ values Indigenous values, knowledge and practices as guides for realising this approach.
Attendees at the Harmony Summit joined a series of listening circles and practical discussions. In discussion with the Earth Elders and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, The King’s Foundation set a series of intentions for the day:
To listen to the indigenous leaders sand representatives from across the world to share their perspectives on the state of the Earth and what must be done.
To bring together knowledge holders — from Indigenous traditions and from science, economics, governance and more — to explore how we can better integrate these different systems and approaches.
To inspire real action by identifying areas where working groups could be established and carried forward in partnership. This will involve linking into a number of live projects being taken forward by The King’s Foundation, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and The Earth Elders.
Outcomes from the Harmony Summit will be shared in the coming weeks.
Simon Sadinsky, Executive Director for Education at The King’s Foundation, said: “This is a huge milestone for The King’s Foundation and everyone who champions the philosophy of Harmony. We are delighted to be hosting the first ever Harmony Summit with our partners the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and the Earth Elders – and what better setting to do this than Highgrove, where The King first showcased his principles of sustainability and organics. We were honoured to be joined by His Majesty for the proceedings.
“Bringing together indigenous elders, land stewards and thought leaders was heartening and thought provoking. In a world where we work increasingly in silos, we have a shared belief that working together to ensure we are accessing what nature can teach us – and putting this into practice to ensure the wellbeing of people and the planet – is more important than ever.
“We look forward to seeing what practical action will take place as a result of the enlightening and dynamic conversations that took place.”
Marc Palahí, Circular Bioeconomy Alliance CEO said: “The CBA is delighted to be a partner in the Harmony Summit. We are facing the collision of two worlds: a dying world made of extractive and fossil economic thinking, and a new world that still needs to be born, one that has been kept alive for thousands of years through Indigenous wisdom and is a world in harmony with Nature, where humans belong. We work with Indigenous People not to support their future but because they are the future.”
Mindahi Bastida, The Earth Elders said: “Our traditions teach us that nature is not a resource—it is life itself. We are not just caregiving 80% of Mother Earth, we are caregiving life. To move forward, we must go back—to restore our relationship with the Earth, guided by ancestral wisdom and original thought.
“The Harmony Summit, hosted at Highgrove, is an important step toward rebalancing our systems by centering Indigenous knowledge, protecting sacred lands, and remembering that true progress begins with listening to nature.”
The Harmony Summit comes ahead of a landmark documentary on The King’s Harmony philosophy, currently in production and due to be released by Prime Video.
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About the CBA
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) was established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales), and became a registered charity in September 2023. The CBA aims to accelerate the transition to a nature-first economy that is both powered by nature and prospers in harmony with it. It delivers transformative impact at scale through its global network of Living Labs that blend science, technology and indigenous knowledge to holistically regenerate landscapes, support communities and rethink value chains.
About The King’s Foundation
The King’s Foundation is a charity founded by King Charles III and was first formed in 1990. His Majesty is Royal Founding President of the charity.
Inspired by the vision and values of His Majesty, the Foundation builds and supports communities where people, places and the planet can coexist in harmony. The charity offers education courses for almost 15,000 students annually, health and wellbeing programmes for nearly 2,000 people every year, and spearheads placemaking and regeneration projects in the UK and overseas to revitalise communities and historic buildings.
The King’s Foundation is headquartered at its flagship regeneration project, Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, and acts as custodian of other historic Royal sites including the Castle of Mey in Caithness, Scotland, and Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire. The Foundation also carries out its work at educational and cultural hubs in London, based at The King’s Foundation School for Traditional Arts in Shoreditch, Trinity Buoy Wharf on the River Thames and the Garrison Chapel in Chelsea. In addition to its UK presence, the Foundation delivers programmes and projects in over a dozen sites worldwide.
About The Earth Elders
The Earth Elders is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to protecting and regenerating nature by empowering Indigenous Peoples to lead conservation efforts. Guided by an Indigenous-led Council, Earth Elders integrates ancestral wisdom with modern regenerative practices to safeguard Earth’s biodiversity and biocultural heritage.
Photos: Ian Jones Photography / The King’s Foundation
Alice Leguay, CBA Strategy Advisor for Growth & Engagement was a speaker at Habiter Demain (Inhabiting Tomorrow), which took place on 4 July in Rome. Organised by BNP Paribas and Villa Médicis, the event convened leading thinkers to explore how design, ecology, and economy can shape more liveable futures.
Alice was part of the Day 2 opening session Living Our Planet alongside architect Eric-Daniel Lacombe and moderated by futurist Julien Tauvel. Their conversation explored three questions: What if we are not at the centre of the world? What if empathy is the only solution to the crisis? What if sustainability is no longer enough?
Humans must stop seeing themselves as separate from ecosystems. The landscape, the bioregion and its communities —not the individual—are the unit of action. Alice emphasised the work of the CBA and its Living Labs, which begin with deep place-based understanding. Each landscape is unique and must be treated as an integrated social-ecological system.
“At the CBA we design Living Labs that regenerate landscapes and activate new value chains rooted in place and in local communities. Catalysing these systems is key in the first instance, until they become scalable, investable systems. Our mantra is action on the ground”, she said. “At the CBA, we know that for any economic system to be sustainable, it must start by regenerating nature and its communities – only then can we consider it potentially viable for the long term.”
The climate and nature crisis demands speed. Without a dramatic shift in pace, we won’t meet global targets for nature and climate. But what if some of the biggest breakthroughs don’t come from massive investments or decades-long plans—but from carefully placed nudges that tip whole systems into self-sustaining change?
The CBA’s Chief Programmes Officer Talia Smith was a speaker at the Global Tipping Point conference at the University of Exeter on 3 July.
The conference explored the latest breakthroughs in understanding both negative and positive tipping points. Talia’s session focused on positive tipping points in nature-based sectors, such as food, agriculture, fisheries and land use. Positive tipping points are moments when change becomes contagious – for example the rapid shift from coal to renewables in the UK, or the electric vehicle boom in Norway. At some point, momentum builds, barriers fall, and what was once niche becomes the new normal.
“Crucially, these tipping points don’t just happen in energy or transport, but can happen in nature recovery too”, Talia pointed out. For those working on nature regeneration, peatland restoration, regenerative farming, or rewilding, the idea of positive tipping points could be transformational – a forthcoming academic paper offers a new framework and process for nature-based solutions.
Other speakers in the session included CBA Trustee Tanya Steele, author George Monbiot and other leading experts.
CBA CEO Marc Palahí spoke at the Nature Action: Mobilising Frameworks and Finance event on 25 June, which took place at Lancaster House, London as part of London Climate Action Week.
Organised by the UK Government, the event brought together foreign governments, business, finance and Indigenous leaders to discuss increasing the flows of private finance to nature. CBA Chair Dame Amelia Fawcett moderated the event, which was also attended by CBA Ambassadors Uyunkar Domingo Peas and Vian Sharif.
Marc emphasised the need to transition to a circular bioeconomy, an economy centred around the restoration, protection and sustainable use of natural capital. He highlighted the work of the CBA in implementing Living Labs to test regenerative production on the ground, working with scientists, local communities and corporates to create scalable blueprints that can transform value chains and landscapes.
His Majesty King Charles III joined a post-event reception with sustainability leaders who are working to incorporate nature into business practices and find innovative ways to invest in nature conservation and restoration.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is pleased to announce that the Spanish the ”la Caixa” Foundation has become its first CBA Custodian Member, reflecting a shared commitment to the transition towards a nature-first economy.
The agreement was signed in Spain on 10 June by CBA CEO Marc Palahí and deputy general manager of Corporate Affairs at the ”la Caixa” Foundation, Sergi Loughney.
Marc Palahí said: “We are extremely grateful for the Foundation’s commitment to our vision and are proud to welcome them as our inaugural Custodian Member. We are very much looking forward to working together with the ”la Caixa” Foundation, which is the largest foundation in Spain and one of the most prominent globally, given their strong interest around the topic of wildfires prevention and landscape regeneration and value chain creation in a Mediterranean context.”
Established by His Majesty King Charles III in 2020, the CBA is a unique, diverse, multi-stakeholder platform. The CBA implements ‘Living Labs’ to demonstrate scalable, on-the-ground blueprints that holistically regenerate landscapes, supporting resilient supply chains and local communities.
CBA Custodian Members are organisations with the deepest level of commitment to the CBA vision, mission and principles, confirmed by a substantial financial contribution. They have a proven commitment to sustainability and belong to a sector which has the potential to have a transformative impact.
Sergi Loughney said: “We are very proud to join the CBA as Custodian Members. The CBA is an opportunity for us to learn and support, with our more than 100 years of experience, the nature-transition of our economy. We are especially interested in working with the CBA to address the accelerating problem of wildfires and water-related disturbances such droughts and floods, which are the result of the interconnected climate and nature crises.”
The ”la Caixa” Foundation manages welfare projects promoting programmes, actions, studies, supports and equipment, individually or collectively, to contribute to the progress of individuals and society, with special emphasis on the most vulnerable groups. With over 110 years of history, the ”la Caixa” Foundation maintains a budget of 655 million euros in 2025, and in 2024, the Foundation assisted more than 235,000 beneficiaries in Spain and Portugal through direct social intervention programmes. Over the past decade, the Foundation has invested a total of more than 5 billion euros to the development of social, research, educational and cultural initiatives, aiming to contribute to the betterment of society as a whole and especially of the most vulnerable groups.
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The “la Caixa” Foundation: Over a Century Building a Better World
The “la Caixa” Foundation, established in 1904, aims to provide opportunities for those most in need to contribute to building a fairer and more equitable society. It is the largest private foundation in Spain and one of the most prominent globally.
Its primary focus is on social programs that address major contemporary challenges, such as promoting employment among disadvantaged groups, combating child poverty, supporting people with advanced illnesses, and encouraging active and healthy aging. Other strategic areas include medical research, excellence in education, culture, and promoting equality of opportunity—all vital for progress.
The award took place on World Biodiversity Day on 22 May, during the visit of the President of Italy to Castelporziano, Rome, to inaugurate its forest restoration plan.
Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza meeting the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, with the Scientific Council of Castelporziano
During his speech the President of the Republic underlined the urgency of rethinking the relationship between humanity and the environment and recalled how the protection of nature is now also enshrined in the Italian Constitution.
Macquarie University has launched the official website for the Australian Harmony Centre for Ecosystem Futures (‘Harmony Centre’), a nature-first research initiative established in collaboration with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance.
The first centre of its kind in Australia, the Harmony Centre at Macquarie University was launched last December 2024 in partnership with the CBA, for which Macquarie is an affiliate member. It is led by inaugural Director, Professor Michelle Leishman alongside Deputy Director Professor Peter Davies.
The website details the centre’s founding vision and mission, its key research priorities, and its three-phase approach to tangible and scalable impact. Also featured are case studies of priority research streams operating under the auspices of the centre – including the Durumbura Dhurabang Alliance, Smart Green Cities, Living Sea Walls, and more – that leverages the biodiversity of the Wallumattagal campus and its surrounds as a Living Lab.
“Macquarie University is proud to be collaborating with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance to help drive meaningful, sustainable change,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton.
“We are committed to developing sustainable value chains that holistically regenerate the natural world and power prosperity in the local community.”
At the centre’s launch event, CBA CEO, Marc Palahí said: “We are excited to partner with Macquarie University, to help the Harmony Centre connect and collaborate with our incredible network, and to leverage the University’s world-renowned expertise to help realise a genuine nature-first economy.”
Harmonizing humans and nature through regenerative innovation
Agroforestry design is the process of creating food and land use systems that work in harmony with nature. It treats agriculture and forests as interconnected living systems, restoring degraded landscapes while delivering key ecosystem services—such as soil regeneration, water management, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration.
How does it work?
Agroforests are ancient systems that emerged in the early days of agriculture more than 13,000 years ago. They are still applied today by indigenous peoples and small rural producers around the world. There are numerous terms associated with agroforestry, such as edible forest, edible garden, agroecological agroforestry, etc. Essentially, the practice means that perennial forest species are planted together with agricultural crops and livestock – mimicking the logic and behaviour of nature.
In collaboration with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, CBA Affiliate Member PRETATERRA has produced agroforestry designs for Living Labs worldwide. These transformative projects include the reintroduction of regenerative cotton farming in the Italian peninsula, pioneering climate-resilient agroforestry systems in Chad, and an innovative medicinal plant agroforestry living lab with Aboca in Italy.
This agroforestry design for cotton production in Chad shows how cotton can be grown alongside cashew nut trees, citrus and guava, to create a fruit-garden system in a 20mx10m block. The system not only enhances soil and ecosystem resilience, but also improves local livelihoods.
The agroforestry designs of PRETATERRA merge scientific insights, ancestral wisdom, and cutting-edge technological innovations to create modular, replicable solutions for regenerative transitions. Each of these Living Labs serve as real-world demonstrations of agroforestry’s potential to restore ecological integrity and provide sustainable livelihoods.
“Through agroforestry design, we envision a future where human activities thrive in balance with nature, offering practical solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges. It can redefine humanity’s relationship with the natural world, fostering ecosystems that are productive, resilient, and in lasting harmony”, said Valter Ziantoni, from PRETATERRA.
Our CEO Marc Palahí gave a keynote speech at the 2025 Børsen Sustainable Summit (Bæredygtig Summit) in Copenhagen on 20 May, about why and how we should rethink our economy around nature: towards a circular bioeconomy.
In his speech, Marc explained that nature is our keynote infrastructure. He took the example of food systems, which are facing the perfect storm of climate change, nature degradation and inefficient value chains.
We need to rethink our economy around nature, moving from an extractive, fossil-based economy to a regenerative, nature-based one. Looking at coffee, for example, we need to move from conventional monoculture based on synthetic inputs and extractive approaches, to regenerative agroforestry with biological inputs and regenerative approaches. This not only reduces carbon emissions, but also improves yields.
A panel discussion then explored how new business models can transform the food sector, including regenerative coffee/cocoa with Sebastian Nielsen (Founder & CEO of CBA Affiliate Member Slow) and upcycling grains from the brewing industry with Aviaja Riemann-Andersen (co-founder & CEO of Agrain).
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) is growing, and we are looking to expand our team. The CBA intends to recruit an experienced and dedicated Senior Administrator to facilitate our day-to-day operations and assist with the governance requirements of running a charity group. We are searching for a dynamic and proactive candidate.
The ideal candidate will have proven administrative experience, excellent organisational and time-management skills with a strong focus on written and verbal communication competences.
Location: Preferably London but must be based in the UK. A regular presence in London is required, minimum 2 days per week.
Application process: Interested candidates should submit their cv and a cover letter explaining how they can add value and make an important contribution to the CBA. Please send this to the email address and include “Senior Administrator to the CBA” in the subject line.
Deadline for applications: 23.59 on 25th May 2025
Right to work in the UK – Applicant must already have the right to work in the UK.
Equal opportunities – Here at the CBA, we’re committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We want to be an organisation that’s representative of the beneficiaries we serve, which is why we strive for diversity of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion and sex. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone, from any background, can be themselves and do the best work of their lives. We are looking for people that can bring different perspectives and experiences.
Recruitment agencies – Please do not contact us about this role, as we prefer to hire people directly. We’ll be in touch if we need you!
We are delighted to announce that Kitty Parker-Brooks has joined the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance team as the Director of Memberships and Chief of Staff to Marc Palahí.
Kitty is a Nature and Materials Project Manager at Systemiq, where she has driven a number of impactful sustainability initiatives, including serving as the Head of Business Engagement for the Food and Land Use (FOLU) Coalition, during which time she co-authored the ‘Future Fit Food and Agriculture’ report series. She also worked with The Consumer Goods Forum to bring together +40 FMCG companies to tackle plastics pollution, and with Lombard Odier to support their sustainable investing unit strategy.
Kitty began her career in the food sector, working at Mars UK in supply chain project management, category growth and brand management. She holds a degree in Politics and Sociology from Cambridge University and an MSc in Global Prosperity from UCL.
Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Network project kicks off its first firefighter training sessions
Over the past few years, intense forest fires have become all too common during the hot and dry summers in the Whitefeather Forest. Many in the community had to evacuate in both 2019 and 2021 under pressure from smoke and oncoming forest fires. Pikangikum people, however, have a long history of Indigenous fire stewardship, working as Crew Bosses in their own language and integrating their knowledge of cultural burning into fire and fuel management on the landscape.
The community is once again taking matters into their own hands. They are making strides to care for their own forest by training crews consisting primarily of youth from the nation. With financial support from NRCAN and a strategic partnership with Outland-Dexterra and their partners The Whitefeather Forest Initiative is training 144 Type 2 forest firefighters from Pikangikum First Nation that can be deployed to work in Pikangikum’s ancestral lands and beyond. The goal of this project is to provide training and employment opportunities for Pikangikum youth in natural resources, to build forest fire resilient landscapes, and to reduce Canada’s historical dependence on international firefighters given that Canada imported hundreds of individuals to fight fires in 2023
The Whitefeather Forest Initiative is a member of the Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Network, a joint initiative between the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and the Commonwealth Secretariat which aims to connect and share unique indigenous and community knowledge and experience in wildfire management with scientific knowledge and tools.
Image courtesy of the Whitefeather Forest Initiative
Plants and agricultural systems in the Mediterranean region face significant challenges from climate change and extreme weather events like drought. Although cotton is generally considered a drought-resistant crop, continuous water stress can affect the yield and fibre quality. It’s important therefore to be able to rapidly monitor the plant’s water status, to enable irrigation to be scheduled at the right time and avoid damage and losses.
New non-invasive methods of monitoring have been explored within the Apulia Regenerative Cotton Project. This Living Lab 1.0 is supported by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance in collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force, coordinated by the European Forest Institute (EFI) together with the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics of Italy (CREA) and PRETATERRA. The experimental agroforestry regenerative cotton site in Rutigliano, southern Italy is testing and scientifically assessing new ways to implement sustainable cotton production in Italy.
Traditional methods for assessing cotton’s water status include measurements of soil moisture, water potential in the leaves and in the stem (the most stable and reliable indicator). However, the measurement of stem water potential involves enclosing a leaf in a foil bag and using a pressure chamber. This is a labour-intensive and time-consuming process using specialised equipment, which limits its practicality for large-scale or frequent monitoring.
In 2023, remote sensing and machine learning (AI) techniques were tested to see if they could help. Remote sensing technology measures the radiation reflected or emitted from objects, without direct physical contact. Satellites, aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles are used to collect the data. Researchers working on the Apulia project used data from Sentinel-2 – two satellites from the European Space Agency’s Copernicus programme which provide high-resolution multispectral images. That data was then analysed using machine learning to identify patterns in the data, allowing predictions to be made.
Previous studies have investigated the use of remote sensing data to see the water status for cotton, for example using drones. However, this is the first time remote sensing data from satellites has been integrated with machine learning techniques, especially in the Mediterranean area. Different machine learning algorithms were tested and compared, to see which performed best at estimating the cotton plants’ water status, with the ‘random forest’ (RF) model coming out on top.
This approach demonstrates how high-frequency, non-invasive monitoring of cotton’s water status could help support smart irrigation strategies, improving water use efficiency in Mediterranean cotton production.
More information
Garofalo, S.P.; Modugno, A.F.; De Carolis, G.; Sanitate, N.; Negash Tesemma, M.; Scarascia-Mugnozza, G.; Tekle Tegegne, Y.; Campi, P. Explainable Artificial Intelligence to Predict the Water Status of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L., 1763) from Sentinel-2 Images in the Mediterranean Area. Plants2024, 13, 3325. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13233325
A fantastic opportunity for a Postdoctoral Researcherto be a part of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Fellowship for Reimagining Nature Finance and Inclusive Capitalism, embedded within the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery at the University of Oxford.
The researcher will lead interdisciplinary research focused on reimagining nature finance to support people and nature, with an emphasis on transitioning from extractive systems to regenerative, nature-positive economies. The role involves exploring innovative finance mechanisms, non-market approaches, and cultural, financial, and power dynamics that hinder transformation, contributing to high-impact academic outputs and practical solutions.
Working closely with the Fellow and other partners from the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance as well as across the Centre, the post holder will synthesise insights from research and dialogue processes, contributing to systemic change in nature finance. The post holder will be part of a dynamic, collaborative research environment, engaging with global stakeholders, including financial institutions, Indigenous leaders, and local communities.
Key research areas include:
Investigate innovative financing models for circular bioeconomy businesses and value chains, such as food, fashion, and health.
Explore non-market mechanisms for nature recovery, including payments for stewardship and cooperative models prioritising ecosystem health and community well-being.
Analyse cultural, financial, and power barriers to transformative finance, incorporating insights from diverse communities and stakeholders.
Collaborate on dialogue platforms and multidisciplinary gatherings to share research insights and co-create actionable frameworks for nature-positive systems.
The closing date for applications is midday on 30 April 2025
His Majesty King Charles III meets scientists from the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and Italian scientific institutions with whom the CBA is developing new collaborations
Demonstration of scientific approaches and tools for measurement, used in the CBA’s global network of Living Labs
The CBA Living Labs for Regenerative Landscapes blend science, technology and traditional knowledge to holistically regenerate landscapes, support communities and rethink value chains
The scientific approaches and tools that lie behind the CBA’s global network of Living Labs were presented to His Majesty King Charles III on 10 April, during the State Visit to Italy.
The event was organised in the gardens of the British Residence in Rome, where CBA CEO Marc Palahí and Chief Scientist Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza introduced The King to the new CBA scientific activities in the pipeline.
CBA Associated Researcher Professor Matilda van den Bosch shared the latest scientific results on the importance of nature for human health and wellbeing. Exposure to Nature, for example via urban forests, can improve human health, particularly mental health amongst young people. New CBA Living Labs are being planned on this topic.
The King also heard about the development of a Living Lab for medicinal plants in Italy, supported by Aboca. The Living Lab will test agroforestry-based medicinal plant production and landscape resilience in central Italy, scientifically assessing biodiversity, carbon sequestration and soil health as well as socio-economic implications.
The effect of environmental disturbances and global change impacts on trees and landscape, particularly in the Rome area, was presented to the King by Giulia Bonella, Director of the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano and Rome’s City Councillor Sabrina Alfonsi.
The King also saw scientific installations to measure climate change impacts on plants and trees, and the ecosystem’s role in removing carbon and pollutant gases from the atmosphere, presented by Carlo Calfapietra, National Research Council of Italy and Riccardo Valentini, University of Tuscia, and colleagues.
Scientific tools for measuring carbon, water and soil were demonstrated in the Embassy gardens.
Marc Palahí said: “We are very happy to be in Rome with The King to present our latest scientific results and ideas for future projects across the world. Italy is an important country for the CBA. Many of our scientists are based in Italy and I am a very proud honorary member of the Italian Forest Academy of Sciences.”
More information
The Living Labs are based on a rigorous science-based framework, the CBA Principles for Regenerative Landscapes. https://doi.org/10.62164/20242
The CBA works with not only scientists, but also indigenous communities, corporates and local governments to develop Living Labs for Regenerative Landscapes. Each Living Lab activates scientific and traditional knowledge through public-private partnerships to demonstrate the power of Nature-based Solutions to holistically transform landscapes and supply chains as the basis for a nature-, climate- and people-positive economy.
At the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance we work with an exceptional team of people, including a network of CBA Associated Researchers who support our vision and mission.
These scientists assist with, or advise on proposals for projects or programmes for the CBA, and we are very grateful for their input to help us deliver transformative impact on the ground.
Meet our colleagues, and explore their areas of research:
Rita Biasi
Rita is a professor at the Tuscia University in Viterbo, Italy and at the Sapienza University in Rome. She holds a degree in Agricultural Sciences and a PhD in Tree-Crop Agrosystems. Her research focuses on how traditional and modern agrosystems, mainly vineyards, can provide environmental, economic, social and cultural services to rural and urban communities, including through the promotion of collaboration between researchers and stakeholders. Her research activities aim to promote strategies for the conservation of agrobiodiversity, mitigation of land degradation risk and adaptation to climate change through more sustainable food systems.
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Matilda van den Bosch
Matilda is a professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and a senior researcher at the European Forest Institute, Biocities Facility in Rome, Italy, and at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Spain. She has a background in medicine and holds a PhD in Landscape Planning and Public Health. Her interdisciplinary research is situated at the nexus of ecosystem health and human health, within the context of Planetary Health. She has worked as a consultant to, for example, the WHO, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) on topics like urban green space indicators for public health and policy priorities for protecting health for both humans and the environment. Some of her ongoing studies analyse how nature-based therapies can improve resilience for both individuals and communities.
Our CEO Marc Palahí visited Guyana in March, together with a delegation from The King’s Foundation. The visit aimed to learn about and discuss Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, in relation to future nature conservation, sustainable forestry, agriculture and urban development. Marc met with several members of the Guyanan government as well as with Chief Indigenous representatives.
Part of the trip also included a visit to Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development to see forestry activities and nature conservation opportunities. The Centre was established in 1996 under a joint mandate from the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth Secretariat to manage the Iwokrama forest, a unique reserve of 371,000 hectares of rainforest.
Marc also visited the village of Moraikobai, to discuss how Indigenous-led activities around forestry and food can be developed further within a nature conservation framework.
More than 5 billion people around the world use forest and non-timber products for food, medicine and livelihoods. On the International Day of Forests, the CBA is highlighting the role that trees and forests play in its Living Labs for Regenerative Landscapes.
The CBA works with scientists, indigenous communities, corporates and local governments to develop its Living Labs across the world. These are pilots of nature-first economies, blending a rigorous science-based framework, technology and indigenous knowledge to holistically regenerate landscapes, support communities and rethink value chains.
A new CBA Living Lab is currently being developed for medicinal plants in Italy, supported by Aboca, a CBA Affiliate Member. This Living Lab will test agroforestry-based medicinal plant production and landscape resilience in central Italy, scientifically assessing biodiversity, carbon sequestration and soil health as well as socio-economic implications. Tree planting has just begun.
At the CBA, we work with an extraordinary team of people, including employees, secondees, consultants and volunteers.
We are very grateful to those who generously give their time to the CBA in an honorary capacity, to help us deliver transformative impact on the ground.
Meet our colleagues:
Saurav Malhotra, Honorary Role – CBA Special Advisor Asia-Pacific
Saurav is a Lui-Walton Fellow at Conservation International, where he leads the Mountains to Mangroves initiative. He co-designed and currently heads this transformative program, developed in partnership with leading national NGOs, aimed at restoring and conserving 1 million hectares of critical forest landscapes across the Eastern Himalayas, which includes Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.
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Xiaoqian Chen, Honorary Role – CBA Special Advisor in China
Xiaoqian has over 25 years’ research and project experience in forest economics and policy, and is an associate professor at Beijing Forestry University. Xiaoqian has worked for ADB, World Bank project as forestry economics and governance expert in China in 2024 and 2022; the European Forest Institute (EFI) as forest bioeconomy expert in China from 2018-2022, and as FLEGT advisor in China from 2011-2017.
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Alice Leguay, Honorary Role – CBA Strategy Advisor for Growth & Engagement
Alice is an entrepreneur, investor, and advisor dedicated to advancing regenerative startups and developing nature finance solutions, fostering collaboration among corporates, institutional investors, farmers, and Indigenous leaders. At Bright Tide, Alice co-created programs focused on regenerative farming and sustainable AI.
Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Network project in Australia reignites Indigenous tradition
An important practice for many Indigenous nations, cultural burning – also known as ‘cool burning’ – involves lighting small, controlled fires to remove undergrowth and prevent more destructive fires, while encouraging native seeds to propagate. While cool fires offer carbon to nurture the soil, hot fires burn the soil and devastate future plant life, upon which the animals are dependent.
With climate change anticipated to increase the number and severity of bushfires in Australia, there is growing interest in the revival of cultural burning and other Indigenous forms of caring for Ngurra/Country.
A project led by CBA Affiliate Member Macquarie University is exploring how Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing can inform and co-exist with contemporary land management practices within colonised Country to drive sustainable outcomes.
Dharug women rekindle tradition of cultural burns
Six Dharug women reignited an Indigenous tradition within Lane Cove National Park with the first women’s-led cultural burn in the area since 1788.
The cultural burn activation took place over four days in April 2024 at Brown’s Waterhole, Lane Cove River – known to Dharug as the Durumbura River. The site was selected for its historic significance as a meeting place, a place of storytelling, and a place of ancestry for some of the women who performed the burn. The initiative signified the return of Dharug presence and their cultural relationship with Country in the area.
Preparations for the cultural burn began in 2020, with the Dharug women receiving funding from the Department of Planning and Environment’s Cultural Fire Management Unit to coordinate and carry out the burn alongside Macquarie University researchers. Further collaborations occurred with Ryde City Council and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to carry out the activation.
In May 2023, the six Dharug women camped near Brown’s Waterhole for the first time since colonisation, joined by allies including two Dharug men as camp managers, NPWS park rangers, and Macquarie academics. Over the course of three days, the women connected with the site, sharing traditional Dharug knowledge and practices with the group.
Dr Jo Rey and fellow Dharug women during a camp at Brown’s Waterhole in May 2023.
The camp began with a smoking ceremony, using ochre from the Blue Mountains, before a series of activities to help build a knowledge base of the area. These included the development of an animal and plant database to understand the living creatures that occupy the area, training in the use of key NPWS equipment for the cultural burn, bush medicine and art workshops to continue the transfer of knowledge and a clean-up of the site. The camp closed with a smoking ceremony using ochre from Wallumatta.
A Cultural Burn Prepping Workshop was then held in March 2024, hosted by the Dharug Women’s and Allies Cultural Fire Alliance in preparation for the official burn in April.
A story of nature and community
The cultural burn activation at Brown’s Waterhole was the culmination of a three-year postdoctoral project led by Dr Jo Anne Rey, a proud Dharug woman and Research Fellow in the Centre of Critical Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University.
“Through the research, and alliances with others who are caring for the wellbeing of the river and its biodiversities, Brown’s Waterhole is now a site of regeneration – for Dharug biocultural knowledges and practices, and of cultural fires as a mitigation approach against the likelihood of mega fires in urban environments,” says Dr Rey.
More information
The global Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Network, a joint initiative between the CBA and the Commonwealth Secretariat aims to connect and share unique Indigenous and community knowledge and experience in wildfire management with scientific knowledge and tools.
The project represents a priority research stream within the recently established Australian Harmony Centre for Ecosystem Futures (‘Harmony Centre’), through which Macquarie and its surrounds act as a ‘living lab’ for nature-based solutions with tangible impact on both a national and global scale.
By 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities. Cities contribute more than two-thirds of global emissions – and the way we build and design our urban spaces today will determine the future of our planet.
In his keynote speech, Marc highlighted the need to rethink urbanisation. “Reimagining our cities is a fundamental step to creating a new economy that is powered by nature and prospers in symbiosis with nature“, he said.
Cities need to be reimagined following ecological principles, nature-based solutions and biological materials – and here forests can play a key role in transforming our urban environments. Urban forests clean the air, support local biodiversity, improve drainage and cool the environment; wood-based construction stores carbon and reduces emissions; and biological design reconnects cities with nature, fostering sustainability.
Photos from the Building a Planetary Solution: Regenerative Architectural Strategies for a Planet in Crisis symposium, courtesy of Yale School of Architecture.
Panellists on the Resilient Forests, Responsive Structures: Signals from Natural Systems panel included: Marc Palahí, CBA; Andrew Waugh, Waugh Thistleton; Tanya Luthi, Timberlab; Kiel Moe, Architect; Lindsey Wikstrom, Mattaforma. The two-day symposia brought together leading international scientists, thinkers and makers to discuss a new and regenerative paradigm to reimagine the cities of the 21st century.
Climate change and the way we manage and plan our landscapes is resulting in unprecedented wildfires. The world is witnessing escalating human casualties and serious health impacts, as well as huge economic losses, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and catastrophic loss of the natural world – most recently in California in January 2025, where around 15,000 hectares were affected by wildfires, and 29 people died.
These new generations of wildfires are exceeding our capacity to suppress them. We need a holistic strategy that minimises the risks of extreme fires breaking out and which also creates resilient landscapes that can recover if a fire should occur.
The Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Network is a global network of CBA Affiliate Members which brings together organisations from different sectors, including indigenous communities, research, international development and finance. It aims to connect and share unique indigenous and community knowledge and experience in wildfire management with scientific knowledge and tools. Projects aim to demonstrate solutions on the ground – which could include, for example, testing and implementing prescribed burning and ecosystem restoration measures, reducing wildfire risks.
However, it is also key to explore how mitigation and adaptation strategies can be financed. The Network also works towards scaling up investments towards wildfire resilient landscapes, aiming to develop and pilot innovative financial models that can enable land stewards to secure working capital and support the transition.
The Network will announce two exciting new initiatives in Commonwealth countries in the coming weeks.
The CBA is excited to announce the appointment of two new senior team members.
Marc Palahí, the CBA’s CEO said: “I am delighted to welcome Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza and Talia Smith to the CBA team. With these appointments the CBA is enlarging its talent with one of the world’s leading scientists in the agri-forestry domain and a senior expert with proven leadership in developing successful programmes at the nature-food nexus. Our goal is to create an inspiring and talent-dense organisation that in turn unlocks the talent, ambition and action in our network.”
Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza joins the CBA as Chief Scientist, focusing on the scientific elements of the CBA’s project and programme activities and working alongside the core CBA team and Scientific Advisory Board.
Giuseppe is a former full professor of Silviculture and Forest Ecophysiology of the University of Tuscia-Viterbo, where he has taught urban forestry for many years in the joint School on Landscape Architecture with the faculty of Architecture of the First Rome University-Sapienza. He is Head of the European Forest Institute’s Biocities Facility in Rome, and a Member of the Scientific Committee of the Castelporziano Estate of the President of the Italian Republic.
Giuseppe has written more than 250 scientific papers and books. His research topics include Mediterranean forest ecosystems, urban forestry and climate change impacts on trees and forests. He has a PhD in Forest Ecology and Management from the University of Washington, Seattle (USA).
Talia Smith joins the CBA in mid-March as Chief Programmes Officer, to steer the strategic direction of the CBA’s programmes with responsibility for overseeing programme development, implementation and evaluation.
Prior to joining the CBA, Talia spent six years at Systemiq, a global systems change company where she was a Director in the Nature-Food team. Throughout this time, she also served as Director of Knowledge Generation for the Food and Land Use (FOLU) Coalition where she was responsible for FOLU’s global thought leadership and global engagements with corporates, financial institutions and policy makers. She has co-authored several analyses on a range of topics, including scaling investments in nature-based solutions and regenerative agriculture.
Talia holds a degree in International Development (Political Science and Economics) from McGill University and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is delighted to announce the appointment of Justin Adams OBE as the first CBA Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Fellow for Reimagining Nature Finance and Inclusive Capitalism.
The Fellowship aims to pioneer a new understanding of how nature finance can catalyse transformative economic change and address the pressing social, economic and environmental challenges of our time. It also emphasises inclusivity, to help ensure that the voices of local communities, including Indigenous Peoples, are central to shaping new financial mechanisms.
Endowed by the Eranda Rothschild Foundation, the CBA’s Fellowship explores innovative financial and policy frameworks to support the transition towards a circular bioeconomy, delivering both cutting-edge insights and practical, actionable solutions.
The Fellowship will go beyond voluntary markets for carbon and biodiversity credits, focusing on a broader vision for a nature-positive economy that recognises nature as a critical engine of long-term prosperity. This includes, for example, exploring hybrid models and non-market mechanisms that drive ecological restoration and equitable economic development, as well as developing an understanding of financial, cultural and power barriers.
Justin Adams brings a unique blend of experience from institutional finance, government advisory and the environmental sector. As co-founder of Ostara, Justin is leading work to reimagine systems and inspire transformative change through nature connection and collective imagination. This aligns directly with the ambition of the Fellowship: to catalyse bold, systemic change by addressing the root causes of ecological and societal challenges. With over 30 years of experience, Justin has held senior roles with Generation Investment Management, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Economic Forum, providing him with a well-rounded perspective on the intersections of finance, nature recovery, and sustainable development. Justin also serves as an Advisory Board member and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery (LCNR) at the University of Oxford. This will ground the Fellowship in cutting-edge research on ecosystem restoration and Nature-based Solutions. Ostara through Justin will complement this by bringing expertise in fostering transformative dialogue processes, ensuring the Fellowship not only generates new insights but also drives meaningful, systemic change.
Justin Adams said: “We are at a pivotal moment and urgently need to reverse ecological decline. To do this, we must go beyond incremental change and embrace bold, imaginative solutions that address the root causes of our crises. This Fellowship, created by the visionary leadership of the CBA and the Eranda Rothschild Foundation, offers a unique opportunity to combine rigorous research with inclusive, community-driven dialogue. Together, we can reimagine how we value and finance nature, unlocking a future where people and the planet can thrive in harmony. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this transformative work.”
Marc Palahí, CBA CEO said: “Justin’s leadership and experience in the finance, private and public sectors will ensure that the Fellowship makes a transformative contribution to reimagining finance around nature and people to catalyse the circular bioeconomy transition that our world needs.”
Michael Clyne, Executive Director of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism which has collaborated with the CBA for the Fellowship, said: “Throughout his distinguished career and study, Justin has built diverse coalitions and incubated unique solutions at the heart of inclusive capitalism. As the CBA Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Fellow, he will help drive the next generation of nature-based solutions, ensuring that our financial ecosystem also supports the resilience of our natural ecosystem.”
Read more about the launch of the Fellowship at St James’s Palace in November 2024, including comment from Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, Trustee of the Eranda Rothschild Foundation.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is pleased to announce that it has joined the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) global impact network.
SAN’s collaborative network unites expertise, innovation, and community-driven approaches to accelerate the transformation of agriculture and land-use systems toward sustainability and equity.
The partnership between SAN and CBA reflects a shared commitment to building systems that empower communities, restore ecosystems, and address global challenges through sustainable solutions. By combining SAN’s expertise in sustainable agriculture with CBA’s pioneering work in the circular bioeconomy, we can catalyze greater impact.
The King joins scientists, business and indigenous leaders at St James’s Palace to celebrate launch of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA)
Charity established by His Majesty King Charles III as Prince of Wales in 2020 calls for urgent transition to ‘nature-first economy’
A hundred business leaders, scientists and indigenous leaders from across the world have come together to accelerate the move towards a nature-first economy, at an event hosted by The King in London. The event, which marked the UK launch of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), focused on how communities, and industries such as fashion, food and pharma can embrace new nature-based approaches.
Reimagining nature finance is crucial to catalyse this economic transformation, and the event focused on exploring new approaches. Participants discussed the need to Re-Nature, Re-Think and Re-Activate to create an ecosystem that connects international companies, local stakeholders and the finance industry to holistically redesign supply chains around regenerative landscapes.
“Nature is the keystone infrastructure regulating our planetary system, including its climate, the food we eat, the water we drink and the oxygen we breathe”, said Marc Palahí, CEO of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. “Nature is also the basic fabric supporting all our economic activities, even if our economic system fails to value it because bees, birds and trees do not send bills to us. It is time to reimagine our world and centre it around Nature – our most important capital and the basis for human health and wellbeing. This requires understanding, valuing and investing in Nature to transform our economy rather than to offset for its failure. We have the knowledge and technology for this transformation, we just need the wisdom and mindset to do it.”
At the event The King met with experts and companies and investors working to accelerate the transition towards nature-positive businesses in sectors such as food, fashion, health, tourism and the built environment.
New Living Labs and initiatives bring together pioneering corporates & communities to regenerate landscapes
The event saw the CBA announce the launch of two new pioneering Living Labs, to demonstrate how to holistically create regenerative landscapes and nature-positive supply chains in symbiosis with local communities and indigenous people. A regenerative fashion initiative in India will focus on landscape restoration for sustainable cashmere, supported by Brunello Cucinelli, while a nature-based medicinal plant production in Italy, will be supported by Aboca. Other new initiatives encompass educational initiatives in the Amazon and Australia, bio-architecture in Bhutan, as well as continuing work building resilient landscapes, communities and value chains in Africa and Europe.
“We applaud the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance for supporting the Living School of the Amazon to help train and prepare the future indigenous governors and stewards of our rainforest territories,” said Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, President of the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance. “Through this year long leadership training program, our youth will be able to gain a deep commitment to the defence of their rainforest territories, their rights and their life ways and learn the practical skills necessary to successfully implement critical programs for food security and for rights-based forest conservation and restoration.”
New Fellowship in Reimagining Nature Finance and inclusive capitalism
The event also marked the launch of the Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Fellowship for Reimagining Nature Finance and Inclusive Capitalism, in collaboration with the ERANDA Rothschild Foundation. The Fellowship seeks accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy.
Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, CEO of E.L. Rothschild LLC said:”We are delighted to be launching the Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Fellowship for Reimagining Nature Finance and Inclusive Capitalism in partnership with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. The Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Fellowship seeks to reimagine nature finance as a critical accelerator of economic change to address the pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges of our time. It is urgent work that the CBA is ideally positioned to lead.”
Marc Palahi, CEO, Circular Bioeconomy Alliance added: “The Fellowship will explore new approaches as part of a broader vision, which requires also a change of mindset within the finance industry, to move towards a nature-positive economy that places nature as the true engine of long-term prosperity.”
More information: The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance aims to accelerate the transition to a nature-first, circular bioeconomy that is climate neutral, inclusive and powers prosperity. The CBA initiative began within the European Forest Institute in 2020, and became a standalone organisation and registered UK charity in 2023, led by visionary scientist and economist Marc Palahi. The CBA combines a rigorous science-based framework, coalitions of expert willing partners, indigenous and local leaders and a bespoke ‘Living Lab’ activation model to build and scale sustainable value chains which transform land, food, health and industrial systems.
The CBA’s Living Labs allow pioneering organisations and communities to demonstrate new nature-first approaches based on partnerships that place local communities at their centre. Each Living Lab uses a landscape restoration project as the starting point to catalyse the development of circular bioeconomy value chains while restoring biodiversity and local livelihoods. They are the start of a journey towards more resilient communities and landscapes.
For opportunities for interviews and any media enquiries Sanctuary Counsel Anna Watkins +44 777 836 4986
The CBA is pleased to announce that it is supporting six students at the Living School of the Amazon (EVA), founded by the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance.
EVA (Escuela Viva de la Amazonía) is an initiative designed to train and support future generations of Indigenous leaders in the Ecuadorian Amazon, providing academic knowledge alongside ancestral wisdom.
The CBA contribution will cover the costs for six students to complete the rest of the 2024 academic year. The funds will ensure the students can complete their leadership training and an internship at their Indigenous organization in ecological stewardship and Indigenous governance.
The Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance represents one of the world’s largest Indigenous-led conservation initiatives. It has been selected as a finalist for the 2024 Earthshot Prize, in recognition of its work protecting 35 million hectares (86 million acres) of Amazon rainforest, home to over 30 Indigenous nationalities in Ecuador and Peru.
“This contribution from the CBA is a crucial step towards empowering our students, providing them with the knowledge and tools necessary to become agents of change in their communities. ASHA’s partnership with the CBA allows the Living School of the Amazon (EVA) to strengthen its commitment to training more leaders, both men and women, who are dedicated to defending their rights and promoting environmental regeneration, in the face of mining and oil extractivism, combining modern knowledge with ancestral wisdom. Thanks to this donation, our students will not only learn to use advanced technology, but they will also be able to document and share their stories, challenges, and solutions with the world, creating networks of young people at the local, national, and international levels”, said Maria Andy, EVA General Coordinator.
Photo of Amazon river from https://youtu.be/3qiP-HcpilI
The emerging market in biodiversity credits risks becoming a wild west unless guidelines based on the learnings from the carbon credits market are applied, according to a new paper by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance.
This emerging ‘nature market’ promises to mobilise funding to help address the global biodiversity crisis, offering private companies the opportunity to invest in biodiversity conservation, restoration, and development to deliver net positive biodiversity gains, such as habitat protection or pest reduction. According to the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance’s new paper – Biodiversity Credits Under the Microscope, by Sven Wunder – as of a year ago, 34 such schemes have been identified globally as in development, being piloted or already fully operational.
However, many of the new biodiversity credit schemes, still in their infancy, lack independent verification and any external oversight, as well as transparency in how baselines are set and any form of impact evaluation.
This comes in the wake of an explosion in carbon credits over the last ten years as an economic tool, offering companies an appealing, convenient answer to offset their carbon emissions, In reality, the mechanism has systemic flaws and in the worst cases facilitate greenwashing. Poor transparency, double counting and lack of quality control (including misleading claims from the companies running these schemes), has meant that carbon credit schemes can significantly overestimate their impact, on reversing deforestation and other claims. Notably, of a potential 89 million credits – only 6% were linked to additional cuts in carbon emissions created by preserved trees – the entire basis on which credits are sold.
“There is a real risk of a new wild west, where biodiversity credits are abused as compliance ‘offsets on the cheap’” said Marc Palahi, CEO of the CBA.
“Ultimately we must address the systemic, root causes of the problem if we are to prevent irreversible biodiversity loss. That means industries investing in and working in symbiosis with nature to transform and rethink their value chains rather than simply offsetting for its failures.”
“Whilst this transformation should be the central focus, high-integrity nature markets that enable private investment in nature conservation and restoration can be an important complement.”
“Only by learning the lessons of carbon credits, can we ensure biodiversity credits’ wings are not clipped before they’ve had a chance to fly.”
The CBA paper sets out ten important principles to ensure the integrity and successful implementation of a biodiversity credits market, ahead of COP16 in Colombia which will reconvene parties to review progress made towards halting and reversing biodiversity loss.
More information
Wunder, S. 2024. Biodiversity credits under the microscope. Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, London. https://doi.org/10.62164/20243
We are delighted to announce that the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance’s CEO Marc Palahí was recognised as a Fellow of the European Forest Institute, at the organisation’s 2024 Annual Conference in Bonn, Germany.
The award celebrates Marc’s leadership of the Institute from 2015-23, and honours his outstanding work on and dedication to European forest research.
Robert Mavsar (EFI Director), Marc Palahí and Leire Barañano (Chair of the EFI Board).
Members lie at the heart of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and its collaborative work.
Our members include banks and funds, corporations, scientific organisations, indigenous communities, NGOs and companies. Together we collaborate to create regenerative landscapes for sustainable markets and communities.
We are immensely grateful to our three Founder Members (Lombard Odier, AstraZeneca and LVMH) who have made a substantial unrestricted financial contribution to the CBA.
Our Affiliate Members provide expertise and implement projects in areas related to the circular bioeconomy, and actively contribute to the development and implementation of CBA activities.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), a newly established charity, is looking for an experienced and dedicated Chief Programmes Officer (CPO) to steer the strategic direction of the CBA’s programmes and be responsible for programme development, implementation and evaluation.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong leadership skills and ensure programme alignment, effectiveness, and innovation within the CBA.
Please review the job description in full if you are interested in applying.
Location: Preferably London, but open to a flexible approach with a regular presence in London.
Application Process: Interested candidates should submit their cv and a cover letter explaining how they can add value and make an important contribution to the CBA. Please send this to the email address “” and include “Chief Programmes Officer Application” in the subject line.
Deadline for applications: 23.59 (GMT+1) on 2nd June 2024
Equal Opportunities
Here at the CBA, we’re committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We want to be an organisation that’s representative of the beneficiaries we serve, which is why we strive for diversity of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion and sex. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone, from any background, can be themselves and do the best work of their lives. We are looking for people that can bring different perspectives and experiences.
RECRUITMENT AGENCIES
Please do not contact us about this role, as we prefer to hire people directly. We’ll be in touch if we need you!
Founding Members Lombard Odier, AstraZeneca and LVMH provide their backing to the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance as it delivers transformative action on the ground.
At COP28, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) called on leaders from across government, corporate, finance and civil society spheres to play their part in creating regenerative landscapes, and sustainable communities and markets.
As world leaders gathered at the summit to discuss and agree collective ambitions on climate, the CBA convened private, public and community partners to galvanise collective action that delivers tangible progress on the ground. The scaling up of nature-based solutions and regenerative value chains will be central to the success of efforts to secure a sustainable future for people and planet.
At an event co-hosted with the UK Government on 2 December 2023, and in support of the COP28 Presidency’s efforts to ‘put nature, people and livelihoods at the heart of climate action’, the CBA brought together leading voices to highlight the critical role of nature, and the circular bioeconomy it powers, in driving the transition to a net-zero, climate positive and inclusive economy. When properly valued by economic systems, nature’s benefits can help to address complex global and interconnected crises.
With the backing of Founding Members Lombard Odier, AstraZeneca and LVMH, the event also marked the CBA’s official launch as a British charity, as the UK forges a global leadership role in securing nature as the world’s most precious economic asset, at the heart of the global climate agenda.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is a leading collaborative platform that facilitates public-private partnerships to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy that is climate-neutral, inclusive, and prospers in harmony with nature. The Alliance was established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales).
CBA’s Living Labs across four continents demonstrate how investing in nature and empowering local and indigenous communities can catalyse the development of circular bioeconomy value chains, while restoring biodiversity and local livelihoods. These public-private-community partnerships aim to create a scalable blueprint that drives progress towards global climate targets.
Dame Amelia Fawcett, CBA Chair and Co-Chair, International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits said “Our world, powered by an extractive and fossil-based economy, has reached a tipping point. We need a new economy powered by Nature – a circular bioeconomy that prospers within our planetary boundaries to support human health and sustainable wellbeing. The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is connecting the dots between local and indigenous communities, investors, companies and NGOs to accelerate action on the ground to create regenerative landscapes and sustainable communities as the basis for a circular bioeconomy.”
Hubert Keller, Senior Managing Partner at Lombard Odier said: “A new economic paradigm is beginning to emerge, as the financial community wakes up to the essential role that nature will play in tackling the climate challenge. Lombard Odier is delighted to be a Founding Member of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, leveraging our expertise in attracting investors to the opportunity offered by Nature-based solutions, including the protection, restoration and sustainable management of our land systems. By unlocking and accelerating investment into nature at scale and working with like-minded partners within the Alliance, we look forward to supporting efforts to boost biodiversity and secure regenerative value chains – the very basis of a nature-positive economy.”
Juliette White, Vice President Global Sustainability, AstraZeneca said: “The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is a unique organisation, whose support for sustainable and resilient landscape regeneration is building ecological and community resilience around the world. As founding members of the CBA Charity, we are delighted to be deepening our collaboration, and continuing to support community-led reforestation and circular business models. I’ve seen first-hand from our partnership with the CBA on AZ Forest projects in Ghana and Rwanda how effective public-private collaboration can drive sustainable impact at scale.”
Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, Technical Advisor and Field Representative for the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon (CONFENAIE) said: “We talk a lot about transition. How can we change? Ecological transition? For me the rainforest will not undergo transition. It automatically regenerates. The transition must be human. Human transition, a change of hearts and minds.”
Why nature? Nature across the globe has been significantly altered by multiple human drivers, with the great majority of indicators of ecosystems and biodiversity showing rapid decline. Nature loss is fundamentally and bidirectionally interconnected with climate change – both crises accelerate each other and present systemic risks. Climate change is a key driver of nature loss and degradation (e.g., wildfires, droughts, pest and diseases) reducing nature’s ability to provide climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits and in many cases turning natural sinks into important sources of greenhouse emissions. This in turn intensifies the impacts of climate change, resulting in a vicious cycle of escalating effects.
The UK Government are leading the drive for nature focussed solutions as one of the first countries to pledge to protect 30% of their land for nature by 2030. They played a leading role at the COP15 UN biodiversity summit in Montreal in December 2022, driving negotiations and securing international commitments to protect nature and reverse biodiversity loss.
What is a circular bioeconomy? A circular bioeconomy offers a conceptual framework for using renewable natural capital to holistically transform and manage our land, food, health and industrial systems, as well as our cities. A circular bioeconomy is a boundaried ecosystem, through which biological resources (plants, animals, micro-organisms and derived biomass, including organic waste) are sustainably managed and transformed in a circular manner into food, feed, energy and biomaterials. The aim of a circular bioeconomy is to ensure we are living within our means, and within the ecological boundaries of the environment.
How does the CBA protect nature? The CBA mobilises transformative action on the ground towards nature restoration and sustainable development through its global network of Living Labs for Nature, People and Planet. The aim is to create scalable blueprints to transform degraded landscapes and non-sustainable value chains into regenerative landscapes and sustainable markets that are inclusive, biodiversity-positive and climate-neutral.
Each Living Lab mobilises funders, NGOs, governments, and local communities, using a landscape restoration project as the starting point to catalyse the development of circular bioeconomy value chains while restoring biodiversity and local livelihoods. Living Labs test holistic approaches to landscape restoration and sustainable value chain creation; focus on research and capacity building; and are based on public-private-community partnerships. They place local and Indigenous communities at their centre, empowering nature and people in a concrete territorial context and integrating traditional knowledge as well as science-based research and innovation.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance’s aspiration is to create a proof of concept – a blueprint- to scale up the transformation our landscapes and value chains need. CBA are excited to share this solution with stakeholders at COP28, and demonstrate to the climate community a tangible answer to landscape degradation, whilst building sustainable value chains for local communities. This supports governments to develop science-informed strategies to transition towards a circular bioeconomy and advance global action on climate.
How could the circular forest-based bioeconomy contribute more to Africa’s wellbeing and prosperity, while helping to tackle climate change and other sustainability challenges?
A new CBA publication analyses the situation in five different countries – Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania – and offers recommendations for the short, medium and long-term.
Africa is at a crossroads. The last 20 years have been marked by a profound turn-around in perceptions of the continent, both within its borders and internationally. This change has been driven primarily by exceptional economic growth in many parts of Africa, and expectations of its increasing global role in the coming decades.
Today, Africa’s population is 1.34 billion and the UN medium variant projection expects it to be 2.08 billion by 2040. Renewed confidence among many African states is reflected in the Agenda 2063 of the African Union, a blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. It puts an important focus on the rapid urbanization of Africa – by 2030 more than one billion Africans are projected to be city-dwellers.
However, as well as the expected development and potential future opportunities in Africa, there are many questions and challenges. African cities face challenges in terms of infrastructure, energy, housing, technology, and mobility. Is it possible to manage an urbanization wave in a sustainable manner? What are the impacts of the changing climate and possibilities to adapt and build resilience to it? What role do governments play, and what type of policies are most promising for a sustainable future in Africa?
A new publication from the CBA explores the role the circular forest-based bioeconomy could play, to fulfil African aspirations and answer many of these current and future challenges. As Africa consists of 54 countries with vast differences between them and the forests which they contain, the study takes an in-depth look at five different countries: Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania.
Recommendations from the authors include:
Launching a dedicated national bioeconomy strategy is an essential tool for forest bioeconomy development.
Good governance is a pre-condition for a flourishing forest bioeconomy.
A circular bioeconomy can help to support biodiversity and climate mitigation – and biodiversity and climate mitigation considerations are necessary for a successful forest bioeconomy.
There is an immediate need to stop subsidising fossil fuel production in African countries in which subsidies are in place. This not only provides funding opportunities for the forest bioeconomy (and other societal needs), but drives the demand for non-fossil solutions, such as forest bioeconomy.
Investments in research, development and innovation need to increase to strengthen the foundations for a circular bioeconomy.
The bioeconomy needs to be seen as a key strategy for cities and urban areas, not only for rural areas. An evidence-based circular forest bioeconomy narrative and its efficient communication is needed to support engagement with society.
Lauri Hetemäki is Professor of Practice at the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki.
Yitagesu Tekle Tegegne is Director of Programmes at the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, and a Senior Researcher at the European Forest Institute.
Robert Mugabe Ochieng is an independent consultant based in Nairobi, Kenya.
The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, or of the funders.
New network launched at a reception attended by His Majesty King Charles III, ahead of COP28 in Dubai, UAE.
Joint initiative between the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and the Commonwealth Secretariat brings together indigenous and scientific knowledge on wildfires to create resilient landscapes.
Planned initiatives include action on the ground via Living Labs, and the development of innovative financial tools with the finance industry.
The Wildfire-Resilient Landscapes Network was launched at a reception attended by His Majesty King Charles III, on 30 November ahead of the start of COP28, in Dubai.
The network brings together indigenous and scientific knowledge to develop Living Labs that demonstrate how to create resilient landscapes to deal with the increasing problem of wildfires in fire-prone areas of the world. The initiative will work with the finance industry to develop innovative financial tools (for example around emerging Nature markets) that can generate the necessary investments to support the transition to resilient landscapes. The founding of the network was inspired by The King’s interest in linking Australia’s indigenous fire experts with Canadian experts to share best practices following Canada’s horrific fire season.
Marc Palahí, CEO Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, Baroness Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General and Dame Amelia Chilcott Fawcett, Chair Circular Bioeconomy Alliance meet His Majesty King Charles III.
Climate change is resulting in unprecedented wildfires, as fire suppression has reached its limits. The world is witnessing escalating human casualties and serious health impacts, as well as huge economic losses, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and catastrophic loss of the natural world. This summer we witnessed extreme wildfire events, with Canada now experiencing its most severe wildfire season on record. More than 18.5 million hectares of land has been burned (as of 2nd October) and this has resulted in emissions of more than 2.2 billion tons of CO2 eq, likely tripling the annual greenhouse emissions of Canada’s entire economy.
Innovative financial tools are also needed to play a catalytic role. Currently, the costs related to wildfire prevention and landscape management comes from public subsidies, which is insufficient to deal with the scale of the problem faced globally. Private-public partnerships and private finance are crucial for deploying investments at scale to harness new technologies and create a new model for designing resistant and resilient landscapes. In this context, carbon and possibly also the future biodiversity markets provide an interesting opportunity for private finance.
The savanna fire management programme across northern Australia is a good example of how indigenous knowledge can be the basis for new financial tools that generate income for Indigenous Communities, while supporting resilient landscapes through carbon markets. The network will build upon the work of the International Savanna Fire Management Initiative, which has developed leading technologies based on traditional fire management (TFM) approaches deployed in the management of land for generations, while generating carbon credits. The application of TFM has delivered substantial additional benefits including creating market-based jobs in remote and vulnerable communities, and improving biodiversity, food security and health.
The new Network will be established under the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance together with the Commonwealth Secretariat. It will be coordinated through partnerships with the ISFMI, which will contribute unique indigenous knowledge and experience in wildfire risk management, and FIRE-RES, who will bring their scientific knowledge to bear.
PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC said: “The Commonwealth looks forward to contributing to this timely collaboration on wildfire resilience. Our climate work is rooted in knowledge sharing – from helping vulnerable countries unlock critical access to climate finance to climate-related capacity development and the promotion of climate-resilient and sustainable land management.”
Marc Palahí, CEO of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, said: “We are honoured to host this network which will build on the success of our Living Labs and connect the dots between science, indigenous knowledge and the financial sector to enable a holistic approach to creating wildfire-resilient landscapes. As leaders gather to agree climate action at COP28, the start of this collaborative endeavour will facilitate vital progress on the ground that works to embed resilience, while contributing to nature protection as well as climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.”
Cissy Gore-Birch, on the Advisory Committee of the ISFMI, said: “Reigniting Indigenous fire management practices is an opportunity to share our knowledge with the world, to secure all of our futures and bring us together.”
Antoni Trasobares, Coordinator of FIRE-RES, said: “Fire suppression has reached its limit. We need to invest in science and indigenous-informed actions to transition to wildfire resilient landscapes.”
Notes to Editors
Photographs from the reception attended by His Majesty The King will be available from Press Association and Getty Images. Broadcast footage will be available via the UK broadcasters’ Royal Rota system.
About the CBA
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance initiative was established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III, when Prince of Wales. The CBA provides funding, expertise, and know how to facilitate projects designed to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy that is climate neutral, inclusive and prospers in harmony with nature.
The International Savanna Fire Management Initiative (ISFMI) is a charity working in partnership with Indigenous peoples, local communities, research institutes and governments, revitalising indigenous fire management and fire management techniques around the world based on the Australian experience.
FIRE-RES is an international research and innovation project that works towards developing holistic and integrated fire management strategies to efficiently and effectively address the problem of Extreme Wildfires. The FIRE-RES consortium is formed by researchers, emergency-response bodies, technological companies, industry and civil society from 13 countries, linking to broader networks in science and disaster reduction management. The Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia, Spain, coordinates the FIRE-RES project, which is funded under the European Union’s H2020 research and innovation programme.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 countries and home to 2.5 million people, including advanced economies and developing countries. Our experts provide technical support to vulnerable member countries and facilitate knowledge-sharing about solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues. We help countries tackle climate change and adapt to its worst impacts, by unlocking access to climate finance. Our Living Lands Charter seeks to address challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation or desertification, through concerted, coordinated, and integrated action.
King Charles III welcomes ANAES initiative by ARCOS and CBA during state visit to Kenya
Nairobi, November 1, 2023 – His Majesty King Charles III, accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Camilla, embarked on a state visit to Kenya. As part of his visit, His Majesty attended an event celebrating the enduring legacy of the Nobel Laureate, the late Professor Wangari Maathai.
His Majesty, who also established the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance in 2020, was introduced to the newly launched African NGOs Alliance for Environmental Sustainability (ANAES), an initiative by the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS), Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) and committed NGOs in Africa. His Majesty embraced and commended this initiative as a vital solution to address environmental challenges on the continent.
ANAES, a collaborative endeavour between ARCOS and CBA, represents a unifying force that brings together 32 prominent conservation and development NGOs from 18 African countries to work together to restore biodiversity and put nature back to our economy and community livelihoods.
His Majesty visited one of ARCOS’ sites in Rwanda in 2022 during the Commonwealth meeting in Kigali. During this visit, he had the opportunity to witness collective landscape restoration efforts aimed at enhancing climate change resilience in the region.
About ANAES:
ANAES’ Objectives: The primary goal of this NGO Alliance is to unite the conservation efforts of African NGOs, fostering leadership, sharing experiences, and promoting active engagement in environmental sustainability practices across the continent. ANAES aims to empower over 3 million farmers in Africa, roughly 10% of the current total, in landscape restoration, smart agriculture, and sustainable livelihoods by 2030 through a proficient network of NGOs and CBOs.
About ARCOS:
The Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) is a distinguished regional champion in restoration, headquartered in Rwanda. ARCOS is a member of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) and has received multiple accolades, including the 2012 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions and the 2023 One Tree Planted Award for Outstanding and Long-Standing Landscape Restoration in Africa.
About CBA:
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) initiative was founded by His Majesty, as Prince of Wales. Established today as a charity in the UK, the CBA provides funding, expertise, and know-how to facilitate projects designed to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy that is climate-neutral and prospers in harmony with nature.
On 20 October in Kigali, Rwanda, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS Network) initiated the African NGOs Alliance for Environmental Sustainability (ANAES).
Africa faces numerous environmental challenges, including ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss, wildlife poaching, poverty and pollution, all accelerated by climate change. These challenges are complex and require collective efforts to address effectively. ANAES aims to bring leading conservation NGOs in Africa together to achieve meaningful and lasting environmental change, safeguarding Africa’s natural heritage and promoting sustainable development.
By sharing information and expertise, they can collectively address emerging threats and develop innovative solutions towards a sustainable future. Different NGOs often possess unique areas of expertise and focus. By collaborating, they can leverage each other’s strengths and complement their skills to create comprehensive and integrated conservation programs that address multiple facets of environmental protection and sustainable development, instead of working in isolation.
The CEO of the CBA Marc Palahí attended the Climate and Nature Finance Mobilisation Forum on 21 September at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. At the event, President Macron and His Majesty King Charles III heard how key organisations from the private and public sector are supporting action on tackling climate change and nature loss in emerging and developing economies.
Participants at the forum, including CBA member LVMH, discussed practical actions that investors and companies are already taking, and what more can be done to increase investment, particularly in emerging markets and developing economies.
Marc Palahí said: “We need to avoid seeing Nature as a “tactic” to compensate for our “broken” economic system (i.e. an offsetting approach) but rather take the view that Nature is our best “strategy” and business partner to transform our economy. Investing holistically in nature-based solutions and circular bioeconomy opportunities is key to both restoring Nature and transforming fossil-extractive sectors into renewable and regenerative ones.
For example, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance’s Living Lab in Chad is rethinking the landscape-value chain for cotton, thanks to the support of LVMH. It puts forward new sustainable and regenerative methods of cotton production while restoring biodiversity and creating economic opportunities for the local population linked to sustainable cotton value chains. The project also involves another of CBA’s members, the International Rescue Committee, which has extensive experience in crisis management and livelihoods restoration.
Mobilising investments at scale for climate-biodiversity requires new partnerships between financiers, corporations and local operators supported by the best science and technology available.”
Marc also accompanied His Majesty on a visit to the Floirac experimental forest in Bordeaux on 22 September, to see the devastating impact of last year’s forest fires, and how the community has recovered. They also heard how fire prevention and forest resilience strategies have been implemented on the ground.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is pleased to announce that two new members have joined its Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr Marina Guyot is an experienced professional with a history of working in the non-profit organization sector on forest, land and agriculture. She is skilled in commodity risk management in agricultural and cattle supply chains, especially on deforestation-free and respecting human rights agendas via multistakeholder dialogue. Marina graduated from Sao Paulo University with an MSc in Agroecology and Rural Development, and PhD in Applied Ecology.
Professor Salome Bukachi holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Nairobi’s Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies, specializing in Medical Anthropology. She is one of the Members of Africa One Health Network Steering Committee, a Board member of the International Association of Ecology and Health, Member of the One Health High Level Expert Panel, former Member of the Global Advisory Panel (GAP) for the REACH Oxford Programme – Improving Water Security for the Poor, Ad-hoc Committee member for the TDR and WaSH/WHO to support activities to control water-related infectious diseases with a special focus on vector-borne diseases. She has won several research grants and fellowships from organisations/Institutions such as the Government of Kenya, EU, IDRC, BMGF, WHO/TDR, Universities of Oxford & Cambridge, Netherlands Fellowship Program.
The Scientific Advisory Board provides scientific advice on CBA principles, strategic plans and activities. The SAB is chaired by Professor Bart Muys, and currently has seven members.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
CBA has published its science-based framework for sustainable and resilient landscape regeneration, developed in partnership with AstraZeneca, the European Forest Institute (EFI), and the CBA Scientific Advisory Board.
The ‘CBA Principles for Regenerative Landscapes’ take a unique, multidimensional approach to harmonize bioeconomy value chains with nature. The Principles have been, informed by the latest scientific evidence and operational knowledge on how we can transform degraded areas into regenerative landscapes.
Prof. Bart Muys, chair of the CBA Scientific Advisory Board said: “The Principles are pioneering as they integrate elements of resilience and adaptive capacity for people and ecosystems into the framework of strong sustainability. It makes them a powerful tool to pave the way to a harmonious joint future for nature and people”.
Juliette White, Vice President Global SHE & Operations Sustainability, AstraZeneca said: “Through AZ Forest, we have committed to plant and maintain 200 million trees by 2030, restoring 100,000 hectares across six continents. Our focus is on reforestation that supports nature, human health and local communities, with a science-driven approach. We are proud to be collaborating with recognised experts like the CBA on our projects, and we hope that the framework we have co-developed will support sustainable and resilient landscape regeneration for decades to come.”
There are 7 principles, which focus on sustainability, resilience and local context:
Sustainability is assessed via three principles focusing on the impacts on nature and the environment; social wellbeing and economic prosperity of the landscapes and value chains created.
Resilience is assessed via three principles: diversity, connectivity and adaptive capacity.
Local context is assessed using one principle, harmony.
The Principles will be used to inspire, select, implement and assess the CBA’s Living Labs for Nature, People and Planet, as well as other CBA-related efforts, projects and funds which aim to scale up landscape regeneration globally.
These Principles will form the basis for the CBA standard of criteria and indicators, to be launched in beta form this autumn.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Armani Group announces a new project in collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance: Apulia regenerative cotton project, paving a sustainable and innovative path for fashion in Italy
– On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Armani Group further testifies to its commitment towards environmental issues and the active promotion of sustainable practices with the announcement of a new project in collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, both founded by His Majesty King Charles III in his former role as The Prince of Wales. The Apulia Regenerative Cotton Project will focus on the development of agroforestry-based cotton production.
Supported by the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force in partnership with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and coordinated by the European Forest Institute (EFI) together with the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics of Italy (CREA)and with PRETATERRA, the objective of this pilot project is to develop an experimental agroforestry regenerative cotton site, among the first of its kind, to test and scientifically assess new ways to implement sustainable cotton production in Italy. The aim is to demonstrate how to enhance landscape diversity, water saving and soil fertility as well as biodiversity-related ecosystem services while producing cotton with a low carbon footprint through the use of agroforestry systems. This innovative approach responds to increasing consumer demand for sustainable fashion globally, and at the same time, it ensures traceable and resilient value chains as well as the safety of resources.
“I am very glad that the partnership with the SMI Fashion Taskforce, led by Federico Marchetti, is resulting in a pioneering project with Giorgio Armani to establish the first Agroforestry cotton experimental site in Europe. This project is crucial to generate new scientific knowledge to guide the transition towards nature-positive and climate-neutral cotton production” said Marc Palahí, Chair of the CBA.
“In fashion, everything begins from the material: all my designs start with the choice of fabric. And it was by experimenting and using non-traditional fabrics that I revolutionized fashion. But the textile industry is one of the sectors with the greatest impact on the planet and that is an issue that cannot be neglected. Our commitment with Sustainable Markets Initiative is to drive positive change: it is a bold and innovative project and one that is particularly meaningful for me and my company. Actively participating in the development of agroforestry regenerative cotton, especially on Italian soil, is an important step and will also have a real impact on local communities. Once a utopia, regenerative fashion finally begins to assume a tangible form” said Giorgio Armani.
Puglia (Apulia) has a mild climate which creates the perfect environment to grow a great diversity of agricultural crops and this project contributes to the reintroduction in the region of a long tradition of cotton farming, which dates back to the 12th century. After the initial cotton planting on one hectare of land which started being implemented last May, from 2024 cultivation will gradually expand to occupy a total farm area of five hectares.
Over five years, this farm site will be among the first field experiments in Europe testing agroforestry cotton with alternative tree species and regenerative practices. Regular scientific reports will evaluate the properties of the cotton yielded and will assess the environmental impacts and production levels of the different plots established.
The Apulia Regenerative Cotton Project is part of the Regenerative Fashion Manifesto, developed by the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force, chaired by entrepreneur Federico Marchetti in partnership with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), led by scientist Marc Palahí. By adhering to the manifesto, members of the Sustainable Markets Initiative’sFashion Task Force are committing to a progressive shift towards regenerative fashion – a circular biobased industry that uses newly created or restored regenerative landscapes as the basis for bioeconomy value chains and practices that empower local communities and support their prosperity.
This initiative is in line with the pledge of the Armani Group to integrate and strengthen sustainable and responsible development into the company’s values and business strategies. Indeed, in 2021 the Group enhanced its governance on this issue and launched a new sustainability strategy based on three main pillars “People, Planet, Prosperity”. The Group has also defined concrete objectives for the company and along its entire value chain according to the ESG approach (Environmental, Social, Governance).
About The Armani Group
Established in 1975 by Giorgio Armani, Chairman and CEO, the Armani Group is one of the leading fashion and luxury goods companies in the world. The Group designs, manufactures, distributes and directly retails fashion and lifestyle products including apparel, accessories, eyewear, watches, jewellery, cosmetics, fragrances, and furniture and home décor and operates in the areas of food and beverage and hotellerie.
In his former role as The Prince of Wales, His Majesty King Charles III launched the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) in January 2020. The Sustainable Markets Initiative is a network of global CEOs across industries working together to build prosperous and sustainable economies that generate long-term value through the balanced integration of natural, social, human, and financial capital. The Sustainable Markets Initiative also launched its Terra Carta in 2021, which provides a practical roadmap for acceleration towards an ambitious and sustainable future; one that will harness the power of Nature combined with the transformative power, innovation, and resources of the private sector.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly The Prince of Wales) to connect the dots between finance, companies operating within biobased value chains and action on the ground to restore land, enhance biodiversity and provide jobs and prosperity to local and indigenous communities. Members include intergovernmental organizations, companies, investors, research organizations and NGOs providing expertise and implementing projects in areas related to the circular bioeconomy.
About the European Forest Institute (EFI)
The European Forest Institute (EFI) is a pan-European international organization conducting scientific research and providing policy support on forest-related issues. EFI has 30 Member Countries and c. 130 member organizations from 40 different countries working in diverse research fields. EFI has more than 25 years of experience in coordinating complex transnational scientific forest-related projects funded by the European Commission and Member States. EFI will have the overall coordination and management of the project and communication with the donor. EFI will lead the experimental design and contribute to all phases of the project.
About Council for Agricultural Research and Economics of Italy (CREA)
The Council for Agricultural Research and Economics of Italy is organised into 12 Research Centres located throughout Italy. CREA-AA (Centre for Agriculture and Environment) carries out studies and research for the characterization, sustainable management, and the space-temporal modelling of agricultural and forestry ecosystems by means of an inter- and multi-disciplinary approach. The CREA-AA based in Bari (Puglia region), owning five experimental farms, will be the implementing partner of the consortium. CREA-AA will be responsible for implementing the experimental sites, monitoring and scientific assessments in the 5 hectares of the “Venezian experimental farm” in Rutigliano.
PRETATERRA develops and implements replicable, regenerative agroforestry systems, combining scientific data, empirical ancestral information, and traditional knowledge with technological innovations. PRETATERRA will contribute to the co-designing of the agroforestry cotton experimental sites and regenerative practices to be tested.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is delighted to announce that two new organisations have joined its work to place nature and people at the heart of a global circular bioeconomy.
GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. It is committed to a net zero, nature positive, healthier planet with ambitious goals set for 2030 and 2045. GSK is investing in high quality nature protection and restoration projects that support its climate and nature goals, and deliver co-benefits to human health.
Earthbanc is a tech enabled nature based carbon project developer on a mission to accelerate landscape regeneration and carbon sequestration at scale to avoid runaway climate change. The company has a partnership with the UNCCD to leverage Earthbanc’s MRV App and sustainable finance products to support the restoration of 2.5 billion hectares of land by 2030. Earthbanc is a top innovator in the 1 Trillion Trees platform and a winner of the Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV program.
CBA Chair Marc Palahí said: “The two new members of CBA, GSK and Earthbanc, represent very well the cross-sectoral ambitions of our Alliance and the vision we have for our world: a healthy world that prospers in harmony with Nature.”
GSK Partnerships & Strategy Director Adele Cheli said: “Investing in nature protection and restoration projects is an important step for our climate and nature goals, as well as positively impacting human health. We are delighted to join CBA, a network of likeminded organisations working to address shared challenges.”
Earthbanc CEO Tom Duncan said: “We are joining CBA today, to massively scale up our nature based carbon and circular bioeconomy projects in partnership with farmers and innovative business leaders. Mobilising private sector commitments and funding is essential to help humanity and nature to thrive in harmony and abundance, now and for future generations.”
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales).
CBA activities include its global network of Living Labs for Nature, People and Planet, which are the start of a journey towards sustainable and resilient communities and landscapes. The Living Labs use nature-based landscape restoration projects as the starting point to catalyse the development of circular bioeconomy value chains while restoring biodiversity, mitigating and adapting to climate change and enhancing local livelihoods.
More information
The Alliance is facilitated by a Secretariat hosted by the European Forest Institute.
For more information please contact: Yitagesu Tekle, CBA Coordinator (firstname.lastname @ efi.int)
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
On 4 May a special event took place in Buckingham Palace as part of the Coronation celebrations. Indigenous Elder UyunkarDomingo Peas and Ms. Atossa Soltani, representing the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative, an alliance of 30 indigenous nations from the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon presented HM King Charles III with a feathered crown in recognition of The King´s visionary leadership and commitment to rainforest protection and to restoring harmony between humanity and nature.
Photo: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
The Indigenous leader emphasized that the coronation was not only a significant ceremony for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth but also a crucial moment for the future of Mother Earth and especially the Amazon given the King’s vision for a sustainable world that works for the benefit of all people, nature and the planet. The representatives from the Amazon Sacred Headwaters also thanked HM for the support provided to the Indigenous nations of the Amazon by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, founded by The King (when The Prince of Wales) and chaired by Marc Palahí, who was also present in the event.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) and the Sacred Headwaters Initiative have been working together to preserve one of the richest regions in the planet, encompassing a continuous mosaic of 86 million acres of rainforest between the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon which are home to 600,000 people from more than 30 indigenous nationalities.
As result of this collaboration, a Living Laboratory has been developed by the indigenous communities to accelerate landscape restoration while creating new forest-based value chains around cocoa, vanilla, medicinal plants and even eco-tourism, financing regenerative landscapes while preserving ancient traditions. The Living Lab also supports a new school for young indigenous leaders, to build new capacities to scale up restoration work and bio-based business models.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is pleased to announce that Professor Hartmut Vogtmann has joined its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).
Professor Vogtmann has had a long and distinguished career in research in the areas of animal nutrition, organic agriculture, food quality, sustainable resource management and the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services. He is currently chair of the project ‘Working together for a healthy soil” with the largest German nature and environment conservation NGO, NABU, and Honorary President of the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM).
He is the former president of the umbrella NGO “German League for Nature and Environment” (DNR), the Foundation for the Conservation of the European Natural Heritage “Euronatur”, and the German “Federal Agency for Nature Conservation” in Bonn, as well as the former CEO of the Hesse State Office for “Regional Development and Agriculture”, and the founder director of the “Swiss Research Institute for Organic Farming” (FIBL).
Professor Vogtmann was appointed as a professor for agriculture at the University of Kassel, holding the first chair for Organic Farming in Germany (and certainly European wide) from 1981 – 1994. During this time he saw the ‘circular economy’ as a key factor in environmental protection.
The Scientific Advisory Board provides scientific advice on CBA principles, strategic plans and activities. The SAB is chaired by Professor Bart Muys, and currently has five members.
The CBA warmly thanks previous SAB member Professor Demel Teketay Fanta for his contribution during his time in office.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Thursday, March 23, 2023 marked the launch of the “Building resilience to climate change and sustainable agriculture value chains in agro-systems around Mukura Forest and Lake Kivu Catchment Landscape”, known as “MuLaKiLa project” in Rwanda. This partnership between multiple actors aims to implement and finance the transition to sustainable land use in the Western province of Rwanda. The project’s overall target is to restore an estimated area of 15,000 ha of land in the Rutsiro and Ngororero districts by planting over 4.5 million trees that will, in the end, benefit more than 30,000 farming households.
Land and forest degradation are major environmental and social issues in the northwestern part of Rwanda: increasing population pressure leads to high dependence on traditional agriculture and deforestation to access forest resources. The negative impacts, strongly exacerbated by climate change, are now causing massive land erosion, affecting the water and biodiversity of the whole region/landscape.
The project will be implemented by the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda and in partnership with Reforest’Action, an ecosystem restoration company, to co-design, monitor and assess the long-term impacts of this landscape restoration initiative. The MuLaKiLa project is developed within the framework of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), and the project design and implementation follow CBA principles. To make this large-scale project happen as of now, seed funding has been secured from AstraZeneca, a CBA member, which is the single investor.
The strong integrated approach promoted by ARCOS, and fully embraced by all partners, involves the long-term mobilization of local farmer communities and the commitment of local and national authorities.
The main objective of the project, starting in March 2023, is restoring the ecological functionality of the Mukura Forest-Lake Kivu Catchment Landscape through the development of agroforestry systems and the improvement of communities’ livelihood.
Creation of sustainable value chains through agroforestry
The promotion of sustainable tea and coffee value chains is the core aspect of the project. To do so, a mixture of fruit trees – including avocado and coffee trees – indigenous and fast-growing trees will be planted in agroforestry within the coffee and tea crops of smallholder farmers.
The project’s activities will also include a training program, in order to introduce all participants to agricultural methods that shift agricultural practices toward sustainable land use.
Enhancement of the beneficiaries’ socio-economic conditions
Through the sustainable production of tea and coffee, the project intends to enhance the community’s resilience to climate change, while allowing the population to generate a durable income and improve their food security. The active participation of farmers in the entire process will be ensured by the engagement and empowerment of a community groups network called the “Friends of Nature Association (FNAs)” and the establishment of 16 community tree nurseries.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Reforest’Action and ARCOS was signed to enable the project to be converted into a carbon project. Hence, the feasibility study was launched in December 2022. Partners are now moving forward step by step to certify the project by an international standard, which will allow its scale-up after this first year of implementation. Once this step is completed, Reforest’Action will become the project proponent and will thus have responsibility for the project.
“The CBA Living Lab that we are launching in Rwanda is another example of how restoring landscapes can catalyse the creation of sustainable markets that are both nature- and people-positive,” said Marc Palahí, Chair of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance.
“Our commitment to Africa extends beyond our medicines and health access programmes. We recognise that a healthy environment is deeply connected to the health of people, society, and the planet. Through seed funding for the CBA MuLaKiLa community landscape restoration project in Rwanda, we are firmly committed to supporting a healthy environment and improving socioeconomic development and livelihoods for Rwandans. I am excited to see how the MuLaKiLa project progresses,” Gagan Singh, AstraZeneca Country President for African Cluster (SA, SSA, FSA).
“We are delighted to be partnering with major players to bring this important project to life in Rwanda. The MuLaKiLa project, one of the largest restoration projects in Rwanda, will help address environmental and socio-economic issues. Reforest’Action is fully committed to the long-term success of this project”, Stéphane Hallaire, President and Founder of Reforest’Action.
“The Gishwati-Mukura and Lake Kivu catchment is part of the Albertine Rift Hotspot and the Eastern Afromontane Ecoregion, one of the global biodiversity hotspots. Though, the region has been a subject to social, economic, and ecological challenges as a result of climate change and an increasing demography. It is in this context that we anticipate the project to restore the ecological functionality of the region and improve its community’s livelihoods”. Dr Sam Kanyamibwa, ARCOS Founder & CEO.
More information
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales). It provides knowledge-informed support as well as a learning and networking platform to connect the dots between investors, companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations and local communities to advance the circular bioeconomy while restoring biodiversity globally. The European Forest Institute hosts the Secretariat of the Alliance.
The Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) is a regional conservation organization that aims at enhancing biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in the Albertine Rift region, Africa Great Lakes region and African Mountains through the promotion of collaborative conservation action for nature and people.
Reforest’Action is a B Corp certified company whose mission is to preserve, restore and create (agro)forestry ecosystems around the world to help address climate change and biodiversity loss. To achieve this, Reforest’Action supports and develops projects that generate ecosystem services that are monitored and assessed over time. Since its inception in 2010, Reforest’Action has implemented more than 1,440 projects in 43 countries, mainly through funding from over 3,000 companies. As a fast-growing company, Reforest’Action aims to restore and regenerate 1 million hectares of (agro)forestry ecosystems by 2030, thereby contributing to the global forestry goals. By providing nature-based solutions that meet the objectives of corporate model transformation, consistent with their carbon strategies, Reforest’Action aims to contribute to the transition to a regenerative economy.
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. AstraZeneca supports the principles of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and shares their 2050 vision of ‘Living in Harmony with Nature.’ The AZ Forest initiative is AstraZeneca’s global initiative to plant and maintain 50 million trees by the end of 2025, working with communities to maximise the co-benefits reforestation can bring to the local context. Please visit AstraZeneca.com and follow the Company on LinkedIn @AstraZeneca (https://bit.ly/3Lbwx0W).
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
CBA Chair Marc Palahí spoke about Developing a sustainable forest bioeconomy that works for forests and people to an audience of Heads of State and Ministers at the One Forest Summit, which took place in Gabon on March 2.
He focused on why the emerging forest bioeconomy offers unprecedented opportunities to decarbonise our economy while creating economic and social value to ensure the sustainability of forest ecosystems.
Forest resources, if managed sustainably, are renewable and circular by nature. With emerging science and technology, wood can be transformed into a new range of biobased solutions that can replace and environmentally outperform fossil products from industrial sectors which are hard to decarbonize. These include wood engineering products that can replace concrete and steel, wood-based textiles and advanced materials such as nanocellulose.
President Emmanuel Macron of France and President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon investigating a wood-based t-shirt
The EU hosts 4% of the world´s forests but the European forest sector is responsible for 40% of the global forest products export value. Africa as a continent harvests 54% more wood than the EU but the forest products export value is 16 times lower – 90% of the wood harvested is used for low efficient energy such as cooking and heating, and exports take the form of logs. This does not create the right incentives to avoid degradation and deforestation. “Using half of the wood for producing wood-based textiles we could replace all the polyester we are currently using. That would have both great climate and economic benefits”, Marc explained.
The One Forest Summit in Libreville was announced during COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, by President Emmanuel Macron of France and President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon. It brought together Heads of State and Ministers from three continents to move forward on climate action and the preservation of biodiversity, by promoting solidarity between the three major forest basins on a global scale: the Amazon forest, the Congo basin and the tropical forests of South East Asia.
Palahí, M. et al. 2020. Investing in Nature as the true engine of our economy: A 10-point Action Plan for a Circular Bioeconomy of Wellbeing. Knowledge to Action 02, European Forest Institute. https://doi.org/10.36333/k2a02
Hetemäki, L., Palahí, M. and Nasi, R. 2020. Seeing the wood in the forests. Knowledge to Action 1, European Forest Institute. https://doi.org/10.36333/k2a01
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Members of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance were honoured to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace on 17 February, hosted by His Majesty The King.
The reception brought together environment ministers, business leaders and indigenous representatives in support of action on global biodiversity. The event offered the opportunity to discuss the practical delivery of the Global Biodiversity Framework, which consists of four overarching goals to protect nature and aims to address biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems.
Progress on three Living Labs in the Himalayas, the Amazon and Rwanda was shared with the King, who met a number of CBA members, including Lombard Odier, Palladium Group, ZSL, Reforest’Action, ARCOS Network and Fundación Pachamama, as well as SMI Fashion Task Force members with whom the CBA collaborates. The King was given a colourful necklace by the CBA Amazon Living Lab leader, Domingo Peas.
King Charles has hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace in support of action on global biodiversity.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is pleased to announce that two new organisations have joined its work to place nature and people at the heart of a global circular bioeconomy.
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international non-governmental organization with the vision of enabling a world where wildlife thrives. ZSL delivers innovative conservation in the UK and around the world, driven by science and supported by its zoos. They provide scientific expertise on monitoring habitat change at scale, human wildlife co-existence, wildlife health and species recovery.
Palladium is a global impact firm operating in over 90 countries. Palladium works with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing challenges, including tackling the climate crisis through projects that invest in forests and sustainable land use, facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue, and reimagine value chains on behalf of their clients.
CBA Chair Marc Palahi said:
“The CBA was established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales) to connect the dots between investors, companies, scientists and local communities to advance the circular bioeconomy while restoring landscapes globally. I welcome the two new members, who will advance science-based action on the ground.”
ZSL Director General Matthew Gould said:
“ZSL is excited about joining the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. We are committed to building a world in which wildlife can thrive alongside people. So we are absolutely aligned with the Alliance’s vision. We are looking forward to working with the Alliance and its members to drive sustainable and nature-positive business.”
Palladium CEO Christopher Hirst said:
“Joining the CBA gives Palladium the opportunity to bring our experience to this global alliance. The most prominent multinationals and advanced investors want to support business models that protect and restore nature, and we’re proud to be able to continue this work alongside the CBA’s impressive and growing network.”
Circular Bioeconomy Alliance activities include its global network of Living Labs for Nature, People and Planet, which are the start of a journey towards sustainable and resilient communities and landscapes. The Living Labs use nature-based landscape restoration projects as the starting point to catalyse the development of circular bioeconomy value chains while restoring biodiversity, mitigating and adapting to climate change and enhancing local livelihoods.
More information
The Alliance is facilitated by a Secretariat hosted by the European Forest Institute.
For more information please contact: Yitagesu Tekle, CBA Coordinator (firstname.lastname @ efi.int)
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Five scientists have joined the newly established Circular Bioeconomy Alliance Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), to provide scientific advice on CBA principles, strategic plans and activities.
Bart Muys has been appointed as the first Chair of the SAB for 2022-2025. Bart is a Professor of Forest Ecology and Management at KU Leuven (Belgium). His research focuses on the role of tree diversity for forest ecosystem functioning under climate change, on restoration ecology of dry forests, and on sustainability evaluation of forests and bioenergy systems. He is supervisor of 47 graduated and 15 ongoing PhDs. Several of the papers he co-authored have been highly cited, and in 2021 he featured in Reuters’ hot list of most influential climate scientists.
Nathalie Seddon is Professor of Biodiversity and Founding Director of the Nature-based Solutions Initiative in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford, and Director of the Agile Initiative and co-lead of the Biodiversity and Society Programme at the Oxford Martin School. She is also founding non-executive Director of the Oxford University Social Venture, Nature-based Insetting.
José J. Campos Arce is the executive director of the Sustainable Agriculture Network, a global collaborative network that works towards transforming agriculture. He has 35 years of experience in international cooperation, technical, academic and scientific organizations and NGOs, working in international development, science and education. José is the former director general of CATIE, and former Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of CIFOR.
Demel Teketay Fanta is Professor in Forest Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Natural Resources at Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources. His research focuses on diversity, stand structure, dynamics and restoration of vegetation in the different forest types, as well as sustainable/responsible forest management, the role of fire in the regeneration of plant species, and invasive plant species.
Sonya Dewi is the ICRAF country programme coordinator of Indonesia and is a Senior Landscape Ecologist. During more than twenty years of professional career as a researcher, she has focused on the understanding of the trade-offs and integration between conservation and development agendas at the landscape level across different contexts, and on identifying options to change the trajectories in several countries, such as Indonesia, India and Brazil.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
LVMH has joined the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance as a member, becoming part of a global movement powered by nature and people.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) was established by King Charles III in his former role as The Prince of Wales in 2020.
The CBA is an action-oriented partnership that connects the dots between investors, companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations and local communities to advance the circular bioeconomy on the ground while restoring biodiversity globally. Activities include its global network of Living Labs for Nature, People and Planet which use landscape restoration projects as the starting point to catalyse the development of circular bioeconomy value chains while restoring biodiversity and local livelihoods.
LVMH provides support for the CBA’s Living Lab in Chad which focuses on sustainable cotton production via regenerative agroforestry and land restoration, working with farmers to plant fruit or timber trees alongside their cotton crops. The project was launched on 7 November 2022.
More information
The Alliance is facilitated by a Secretariat hosted by the European Forest Institute. For more information please contact:
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
In the context of COP27, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and LVMH announce a major new project tackling one of the serious challenges the African continent is facing.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III, when he was the Prince of Wales, gathering institutional and business actors is developing sustainable cotton production in Africa in a regenerative agroforestry system, which is part of the Great Green Wall project.
In addition to local government and research organizations, this collaboration brings together an exceptional diversity of partners with experience in multiple areas. By participating in this project, the world’s leading luxury group, LVMH, takes a further step in line with its environmental program, LIFE360, and its commitments to regenerative agriculture. This joint effort also includes the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Reforest’Action, European Forest Institute and Pretaterra.
In a region particularly subject to difficult climatic conditions, Lake Chad has shrunk by 90% from 1963 to 2001, and at the current rate of recession could disappear about 20 years from now. Industrial water-intensive cotton production is one of the drivers for this loss.
To address this, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance’s unique Living Lab in Chad puts forward new sustainable and regenerative methods of cotton production while restoring biodiversity and creating economic opportunities for the local population linked to sustainable cotton value chains. Thanks to the support of LVMH, the Living Lab will be able to focus on regenerative agroforestry and land restoration, working with 500 cotton farmers to plant fruit or timber trees alongside their cotton crops.
Introducing diverse trees into cotton farms helps with soil fertility and water retention, increases biodiversity, and also helps boost income for local farmers. For example, fruit trees like mango and ber can provide both food for the farmer’s personal consumption or be sold in local markets. Some tree species fix nitrogen, providing soil fertilization as well as fodder for livestock. Tall tree species can provide a protective forest cover and reduce evapotranspiration, reducing water requirements.
Working with the local community, the Living Lab will establish community tree nurseries to grow quality planting materials. It also supports access to planting and harvesting equipment, product storage, and sustainable irrigation technologies. At the other end of the process, the Living Lab also aims to improve existing cotton value chains, as well as creating markets for complementary crops like cassava, maize and pepper.
“This is a very special project for the CBA as we demonstrate how the need to decarbonise economic sectors like the fashion industry can act as a catalyst to restore degraded landscapes – turning them into regenerative ones while providing jobs, prosperity and hope to Africa. The climate-poverty-land degradation crisis affecting Africa requires holistic approaches, connecting regenerative landscapes to sustainable markets,” said Circular Bioeconomy Alliance Chair Marc Palahí.
“Through its LIFE 360 environmental strategy, LVMH has committed to making the protection of biodiversity and fighting climate change an absolute priority, and to being an exemplary actor of change. LVMH has set the target to implement regenerative agriculture in all strategic supply chains and to preserve 5 million of hectares by 2030. Already supporting regenerative cotton production in Turkey, LVMH is proud to support its new project in Chad to preserve local biodiversity, fight climate change and desertification,” said Hélène Valade, LVMH Environmental Development Director.
“A core component of the global work of the IRC is to develop innovative, scalable and resilient solutions with local communities most impacted by the growing climate crisis. We are delighted to be doing just that in Chad in partnership with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance – working together to restore biodiversity, heal degraded soil and strengthen local livelihoods through sustainable and resilient farming solutions. The IRC has seen first-hand the growing toll of climate change across Africa – and the significance of innovative programs like this one for the millions already living with the consequences,” said David Miliband, International Rescue Committee President and CEO.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was established in 2020 by His Majesty King Charles III (when he was the Prince of Wales). It provides knowledge-informed support as well as a learning and networking platform to connect the dots between investors, companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations and local communities to advance the circular bioeconomy while restoring biodiversity globally. The European Forest Institute hosts the Secretariat of the Alliance.
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is represented in Wines and Spirits by a portfolio of brands that includes Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Ruinart, Mercier, Château d’Yquem, Domaine du Clos des Lambrays, Château Cheval Blanc, Colgin Cellars, Hennessy, Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Belvedere, Woodinville, Volcán de Mi Tierra, Chandon, Cloudy Bay, Terrazas de los Andes, Cheval des Andes, Cape Mentelle, Newton, Bodega Numanthia, Ao Yun, Château d’Esclans, Château Galoupet and Joseph Phelps. Its Fashion and Leather Goods division includes Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Celine, Loewe, Kenzo, Givenchy, Fendi, Emilio Pucci, Marc Jacobs, Berluti, Loro Piana, RIMOWA, Patou. LVMH is present in the Perfumes and Cosmetics sector with Parfums Christian Dior, Guerlain, Parfums Givenchy, Kenzo Parfums, Perfumes Loewe, Benefit Cosmetics, Make Up For Ever, Acqua di Parma, Fresh, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Officine Universelle Buly. LVMH’s Watches and Jewelry division comprises Bulgari, Tiffany & Co., TAG Heuer, Chaumet, Zenith, Fred and Hublot. LVMH is also active in selective retailing as well as in other activities through DFS, Sephora, Le Bon Marché, La Samaritaine, Groupe Les Echos, Cova, Le Jardin d’Acclimatation, Royal Van Lent, Belmond and Cheval Blanc hotels.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Circular Bioeconomy Alliance Chair Marc Palahí will participate in a reception at Buckingham Palace today, hosted by King Charles III ahead of the COP27 Climate Change Conference.
The event will bring together over 200 international business leaders, decision makers and NGOs from across a variety of sectors to discuss climate change and the progress made since COP26. Also attending will be US climate envoy, John Kerry and Alok Sharma, president of the COP26 conference.
Marc said: “This is a great honour for the CBA and EFI to participate in such a high-level event to discuss how forests and the bioeconomy can help to tackle climate change”.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was founded by King Charles III in 2020, while still the Prince of Wales. It provides on-the-ground examples of how investing in land restoration can catalyse the development of nature-positive and climate-neutral value chains to decarbonise the economy while supporting local communities.
The CBA will participate in COP27, for example its Living Lab in the Himalayas will be highlighted at the Terra Carta Action Forum event on regenerative fashion on 7 November.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Sacred Headwaters region in the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon is considered one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. It measures 35 million hectares and is home to 600,000 people from more than 30 indigenous nationalities.
In spring 2022, the CBA and Lombard Odier joined the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative on a journey in the region to build a shared vision amongst indigenous peoples, global organisations, governments, philanthropists and investors in protecting the region, tackling industrial scale resource extraction and living in harmony with nature.
A Living Laboratory will be be developed by the indigenous communities with the support of CBA member, Fundación Pachamama and our Living Lab coordinating organization, Reforest´Action. It aims to accelerate landscape restoration in Ecuador and Peru, while creating new forest-based value chains around cocoa, vanilla, medicinal plants and even eco-tourism, financing regenerative landscapes while preserving ancient traditions. The CBA will also support a new school for young indigenous leaders, to build new capacities to scale up restoration work and bio-based business models.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is pleased to announce that five new organisations have joined its work to place nature and people at the heart of a global circular bioeconomy.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) was established by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 2020. The CBA is an action-oriented partnership that connects the dots between investors, companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations and local communities to advance the circular bioeconomy on the ground while restoring biodiversity globally.
The CBA’s activities include its global network of Living Labs for Nature, People and Planet which use landscape restoration projects as the starting point to catalyse the development of circular bioeconomy value chains while restoring biodiversity and local livelihoods.
The diversity of new members reflects the nature of the Alliance, which includes large and small intergovernmental organizations, companies, investors, research organizations and NGOs, who provide expertise and implement projects in areas related to the circular bioeconomy.
More information
The Alliance is facilitated by a Secretariat hosted by the European Forest Institute. For more information please contact:
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
HRH The Prince of Wales launches restoration of forest landscapes in Romania by his Circular Bioeconomy Alliance
Europe’s largest cross border forest restoration project launched
New science-policy study on forest biodiversity published
Leading scientists, experts and practitioners met in Sibiu, Romania on 30 May to launch Europe’s largest cross border forest restoration project. The ThinkForest science-policy event celebrated a growing movement to restore forest biodiversity and advance the circular bioeconomy, for the benefit of people and the planet.
The event was opened by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, who the same day launched a landscape restoration project in the Carpathian mountains, funded by his Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and developed in collaboration with the Horizon 2020 project SUPERB.
The Romanian Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests Barna Tánczos joined HRH for the opening of the event.
His Royal Highness emphasised in his opening speech that we have to rethink our economy if we want to rewrite our future. We need a circular bioeconomy, investing in three mutually reinforcing areas: biodiversity, innovation and local and indigenous communities. The rest of the world can learn from the way Romania has relied on regenerative approaches to create rich landscapes in areas such as Transylvania, where man lives in harmony with nature.
The ThinkForest event also marked the launch of the 20m euro Horizon 2020 project, SUPERB, coordinated by the European Forest Institute. The project involves more than 100 forest science and practice organizations in 20 different countries and includes 12 large-scale forest restoration demonstration sites across Europe. One of the sites is located in the Romanian Carpathian mountains.
Marc Palahí, European Forest Institute Director and chair of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance said: “Scientific collaboration is crucial to scale up successfully forest restoration in Europe in a context of rapid environmental changes and increasing demands on our forests. I am proud of EFI´s leadership in bringing together some of the leading scientists and practitioners in Europe to demonstrate why and how we can restore forest landscapes for different purposes and benefits.”
A new EFI science-policy study on Forest Biodiversity in Europe was also presented at the event. Written by a group of distinguished scientists from 10 European countries, the study provides policymakers as well as forest and landscape managers with a better understanding of the complex subject of biodiversity in the context of European forests.
More information
ThinkForest is a European high-level discussion and information-sharing forum on the future of forests. ThinkForest is facilitated by the European Forest Institute, an independent, science-based international organization. More information: https://www.efi.int
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was established by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 2020. It provides knowledge-informed support as well as a learning and networking platform to connect the dots between investors, companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations and local communities to advance the circular bioeconomy while restoring biodiversity globally.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Chair of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance Marc Palahí reflects on the opportunities offered by the circular bioeconomy
The multidimensional and mutually accelerating crises that are converging today – climate, biodiversity and health – are the consequences of the same fundamental problem: our economic system. It is a system addicted to fossil resources and to growth at all costs, that has failed to value our most important capital and the basis for human health and wellbeing: Nature.
Now we have arrived at a tipping point characterized by the unparalleled alteration of our biosphere, upon which humanity depends. We need to rethink our economy if we want to rewrite our future on time.
We fundamentally need a new economy, where life – remember that bio- means life! – and not consumption becomes its true engine and purpose. A new economy that prospers in harmony with nature but at the same time is powered by nature. This is not a contradiction but a necessary condition to create a circular bioeconomy. Because above all a circular bioeconomy is about reconnecting humanity, nature and the environment as a basis for a sustainable future.
A circular bioeconomy is about restoring and sustainably managing our biological systems to produce in a synergistic way food, energy, ecosystem services and biobased solutions to decarbonize our economy while generating jobs and prosperity. Doing this also requires us to recognize and invest in biodiversity as its true engine. Biodiversity is a prerequisite for life to adapt and evolve in a changing environment – and a bioeconomy is an economy that ultimately relies on life and its diversity.
The circular bioeconomy is also an opportunity to holistically rethink our land, food and energy systems while simultaneously transforming key industrial sectors and their value chains to become circular and carbon neutral. The beauty of biological resources is that, if managed wisely and sustainably, they are renewable and circular by nature. This is why biobased solutions are key to decarbonize our economy and make it circular.
Forests are central in transitioning to a circular bioeconomy. Not only because they are our main biological infrastructure, our largest terrestrial carbon sink and main host for biodiversity, but also because they are the main source of non-food non-feed biological resources. With emerging science knowledge and new technologies these resources can be transformed into a new range of wood and non-wood based solutions that can replace and environmentally outperform fossil products in sectors like construction, textiles, chemicals, transport or packaging.
For instance we can now produce a new generation of sustainable low carbon textile fibres with a carbon footprint six times lower than polyester, without generating the problem of microplastics because they are biodegradable. We can also produce a new generation of wood engineering products to replace steel and concrete at scale – two materials whose production is responsible for more than 12% of the carbon emissions globally. Using wood in building construction not only reduces the carbon footprint of our cities compared to using concrete and steel but it can also transform cities into a carbon storage infrastructure. Every cubic metre of wood products we use in our buildings stores a ton of CO2.
Over the last few decades Europe has invested substantially in forest science, technology and innovation and industrial forest-based sector development. This explains why the European Union, which hosts 4% of the world forests, is responsible for more than 40% of the global forest products export value. In comparison, Brazil hosts 12% of the world forests but is only responsible for about 4% of the global export value. Africa as a continent harvests 54% more wood than the EU, but the export value of the products made is 17 times less than that of the EU: 6 billion dollars versus 100 billion dollars. This is because 90% of the wood harvested in Africa is used for low efficient energy. This demonstrates the great potential for transcontinental collaboration to increase the climate mitigation impact of the wood-based solutions we are generating, while also increasing the economic value and jobs attached to them. At the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance we are demonstrating on the ground how restoring landscapes, investing in biodiversity and innovation can create new value chains that economically and environmentally outperform fossil-based value chains.
Over the next two decades we need to put forward the greatest economic transformation in human history, due to the scale and speed of change required to achieve a climate-neutral, inclusive and nature positive economy. This is an unprecedented global challenge but it is also the greatest opportunity to rethink our economy and create a better world for future generations.
Forests and the forest-based circular bioeconomy are crucial to catalyse the radical change that the world needs. Unlocking their potential requires working together across disciplines and sectors to develop transformative insetting strategies rather than focusing on offsetting tactics.
Further reading
Palahí, et al. 2020. Investing in Nature as the true engine of our economy: A 10-point Action Plan for a Circular Bioeconomy of Wellbeing. Knowledge to Action 02, European Forest Institute. https://doi.org/10.36333/k2a02
Hetemäki, L., Palahí, M. and Nasi, R. 2020. Seeing the wood in the forests. Knowledge to Action 1, European Forest Institute. https://doi.org/10.36333/k2a01
The event showcased the key contributions that the forest sector provides to the sustainable circular bioeconomy, bringing together perspectives from the public and private sector, academia and civil society, and from various geographical regions and contexts. Speakers included both policymakers, such as Minister Lee White, Minister of Water, Forests, the Sea, and Environment who spoke about the opportunities for the circular bioeconomy in Gabon, and CEOs from sustainable wood-based industry, who reflected on new innovative fields for wood products such as bamboo and cosmetics.
CBA Chair Marc Palahí set the scene, and explained that the circular bioeconomy is an opportunity to holistically rethink our land, food and energy systems to catalyse the change that industrial sectors need to become circular and carbon neutral. Over the next decades we need to put forward the greatest economic transformation in human history to move towards a climate-neutral, inclusive and nature-positive economy. “A forest-based circular bioeconomy is not just “another solution” it needs to be seen as a catalyst for changing and inspiring change in a number of sectors through insetting strategies rather than reactive offsetting tactics”, he said.
CBA members at the World Forestry Congress. Left to right: Yitagesu Tekle, EFI; Mokena Makeka, Dahlberg Advisors; Candice Taylor, New Forest Company; Stéphane Hallaire, Reforest’Action; Vicente Guallart, IAAC; Nicolas Blain, Reforest’Action
CBA Living Lab Coordinator Stéphane Hallaire explored further how to make the circular bioeconomy and restoration mainstream. He explained how the CBA Living Labs develop circular bioeconomy value chains while restoring biodiversity and local livelihoods.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Marc Palahí, Chair of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance reflects on his recent trip to Ecuador
The Amazon basin is witnessing, like no other place on the planet, the collision of two worlds: a dying world, characterized by an extractive and fossil economy that is addicted to growth at all costs and which fails to value our most important capital, nature… and an ancient world, centered around nature and life, the indigenous world which not only portrays the past but also leads us to the future.
In March I had the opportunity to visit Ecuador´s Amazon region on behalf of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance; a truly transformative experience. I had the pleasure to be accompanied by my CBA colleagues Stephane Hallaire (Reforest’Action) and Laure Gay (Lombard Odier) and guided by Atossa Soltani from the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative and colleagues from indigenous organizations such as COICA and CONFENIAE. My first day in the region, though, was a very depressing one. I was brought by a group of local indigenous people to see the impacts of illegal gold mining along the river Napo, near the town of Tena.
Extractive gold mining operations have led to a lunar landscape, a level of destruction I had not seen before. The local communities living nearby still do not have access to clean water and were also suffering from many consequences derived from months of co-existence with illegal mining workers. The mining activities seemed to me to not only suck the life out of nature but also from the people.
I talked with an old lady who was very upset, and who wanted to tell me how indigenous ancient goldmining was sustainable and respectful as it followed the rhythms of nature. How was this possible, I asked, given gold is a non-renewable material? I could not see how sustainability and natural cycles could be brought into the equation. She explained that indigenous communities only collected gold when the rivers rise after the rains. This was the moment to collect gold with a minimum of human intervention with the help of natural cycles.
Unfortunately what I saw in Tena is not the exception but rather common, as the mining and oil industries are a main driver of deforestation in Ecuador and one of the main threats to indigenous communities.
Fortunately, the following day, I had the opportunity to see another world, a world full of life and respect for nature, a world of the past that should inspire the future too. After an hour on a very small plane we landed in the community of Sharamentsa on the river Pastaza. I spent several days living with the Achuar along the river Pastaza, and it was inspirational to see the sacred respect they have for nature, as well as for the things that truly matter.
Every day we woke up at 3 am to drink guayusa, a herbal tea prepared with the leaves of guayusa tree (Ilex guayusa), which has been drunk since ancient times in the Amazon due to its health benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. During the guayusa ceremony we shared the dreams we had the previous night and discussed them collectively. The guayusa ceremony is also used by the Achuar and other indigenous communities to purify and energize their bodies.
Another fascinating part of the morning is when the Achuar paint their faces with natural inks that last for one day. They paint their faces according to their mood but also depending on their purpose for the day. The process requires meditating and reflecting before starting the activities of the day.[1] These two morning rituals mean that Achuar people have already invested several hours communicating and reflecting on their dreams, feelings and purpose for the day. In my view, a great investment!
Walking the Amazon rainforest is very special, but doing so in the company of indigenous people is a holistic experience that allows you to witness the profound connection that humans can establish with nature, being part of it, living in harmony with it, shaping it and in turn being shaped by it. Such harmony requires an important ability that indigenous communities have and that in many respects we have lost in the modern world: the ability to transform knowledge into wisdom.
The indigenous knowledge and wisdom about the Amazon forest is the result of more than 12,000 years of sustainable co-existence. This makes the Amazon basin one of the world´s best examples in terms of agrobiodiversity, domestication of plants, and human symbiosis with natural ecosystems resulting in the distribution of particular plants positive for human health and wellbeing. During my stay in the Amazon, I could see that forests for indigenous communities are not only their pharmacies, groceries and workshop but they are also their healing, meditation and spiritual refuge. Almost every tree and plant seemed to have a specific use (knowledge) for them, which is the basis for their sacred respect to biodiversity and nature (wisdom).
I have conducted research on forests and the circular bioeconomy for twenty years, and have talked in many public events about it. I must admit that I have never seen so clearly before what I really mean when I say circular bioeconomy: an economy powered by nature that prospers in harmony with nature. While I am conscious that we cannot all live the way indigenous communities live in the Amazon, we can still rethink many of our values and economic guiding principles to reconcile knowledge and wisdom, the ancient and the future, nature and humanity. The climate, biodiversity and “values” crises we are facing are not different crises, just different consequences of the same problem: our profound disconnection with nature, and therefore with our own selves.
The Amazon is the largest tropical forest in the world. More than 10% of the known plant and animal species coexist there. Today, this ecosystem of over 7 million square kilometres is threatened by deforestation, fires, mining, oil and gas development, large dams for hydroelectric generation and illegal invasions. What I saw in the Amazon is a collision of two worlds – which is resulting in the destruction of the future. The “modern world” is in many ways destroying the Amazon, but what happens in the Amazon will put at risk the future of the world.
Boulton and colleagues argue that three-quarters of the Amazon rainforests have lost resilience since 2000, meaning the forest is losing its ability to recover after droughts and other disturbances. This loss of resilience has profound implications for biodiversity, carbon storage and climate change at a global scale.
Deforestation and climate change, via increasing dry-season length and drought frequency, may already have pushed the Amazon close to a critical threshold of rainforest dieback. Already in the 1970s, Brazilian scientists Salati and colleagues demonstrated that not only is vegetation the consequence of climate, but also that vegetation can influence the climate. They scientifically showed that the Amazon generates approximately half of its own rainfall by recycling moisture 5 to 6 times, as airmasses move from the Atlantic across the basin to the west. Moisture from the Amazon is also important for rainfall and human wellbeing because it contributes to winter rainfall for parts of the La Plata basin, especially southern Paraguay, southern Brazil, Uruguay and central-eastern Argentina; in other regions, the moisture passes over the area, but does not precipitate out.
This brings us to the key question that Lovejoy and Nobre asked themselves a few years ago: where might the tipping point be for deforestation-generated degradation of the hydrological cycle? The first model to examine this question back in 2007 showed that at about 40% deforestation, central, southern and eastern Amazonia would experience diminished rainfall and a lengthier dry season, predicting a shift to savanna vegetation to the east. However, Lovejoy and Nobre believed that a tipping point for the Amazon system to flip to non-forest ecosystems in eastern, southern and central Amazonia could be reached at 20-25% deforestation and therefore it is urgent not only curb further deforestation, but also restore forests to create a margin of safety, by reducing the deforested area to less than 20%.
In this context, one of the main purposes of my trip to Ecuador as Chair of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was to launch a transformative initiative – a Living Laboratory to be developed by the indigenous communities with the support of our new member, Fundación Pachamama and our Living Lab coordinating organization, Reforest´Action. It aims to accelerate landscape restoration in Ecuador and Peru, while creating new forest-based value chains around cocoa, vanilla, medicinal plants and even eco-tourism, financing regenerative landscapes while preserving ancient traditions. The CBA will also support a new school for young indigenous leaders, to build new capacities to scale up restoration work and bio-based business models.
E. Salati, A. Dall ‘Ollio, E. Matsui, J. R. Gat, Recycling of Water in the Amazon, Brazil: an isotopic study. Water Resour. Res.15, 1250–1258 (1979).
Boulton, C.A., Lenton, T.M. & Boers, N. Pronounced loss of Amazon rainforest resilience since the early 2000s. Nat. Clim. Chang.12, 271–278 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01287-8
G. Sampaio,C. A. Nobre, M. H. Costa, P. Satyamurty, B. S. Soares-Filho, M. Cardoso, Regional climate change over eastern Amazonia caused by pasture and soybean cropland expansion. Geophys. Res. Lett.34, L17709 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL030612
Nabuurs, GJ., Harris, N., Sheil, D., Palahí, M., Chirici, G., Boissière, M., Fay, C., Reiche, J., Valbuena, R. Glasgow forest declaration needs new modes of data ownership. Nat. Clim. Chang. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01343-3
[1] C. G. Jung would certainly have found a good explanation of the importance of the paintings in creating the persona – the social face or masks we use to relate to others or to conceal the true nature of the individual.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The SMI Fashion Taskforce, chaired by entrepreneur Federico Marchetti, has today announced its new Regenerative Fashion Manifesto which has been developed in partnership with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) led by scientist Marc Palahí.
In signing up to the Manifesto, Taskforce members are committing their brands, which are amongst the biggest names in the fashion industry, to a progressive shift towards Regenerative Fashion – a circular biobased industry that is inclusive, climate and nature-positive, using newly created or restored regenerative landscapes as the basis for circular bioeconomy value chains.
Regenerative landscapes are resilient, biodiversity-rich and deforestation-free. They produce a diversity of goods and services such as food, energy, and biomaterials, as well as ecosystem services including carbon sequestration. Such regenerative practices empower local and indigenous communities, support their prosperity and respect their ancestral rights.
The Himalayan Regenerative Fashion Living Lab The Himalayan Regenerative Fashion Living Lab is the first project developed according to the principles and ambitions of the new Manifesto. The project seeks to demonstrate the potential of regenerative fashion to restore harmony between local communities, nature and the environment while creating sustainable fashion value chains.
The Himalayan initiative is a €1m project that will restore degraded landscapes and recover traditional textile craft skills in order to enhance the local cashmere, cotton and silk economies while addressing global challenges related to climate change and biodiversity loss. Work on the project will begin next month with help on the ground from Reforest’Action and the Balipara Foundation.
Fashion Taskforce Chair, Federico Marchetti said of the project: “The Regenerative Fashion Manifesto is another concrete step towards creating a much more sustainable fashion industry. It is not simply empty words, the manifesto comes with a concrete €1m project for the degraded landscapes of the Himalayas attached. This project will serve as a blue-print for what can be done to shift the fashion industry towards a more equitable, nature positive future.”
Marc Palahí, Director of the European Forest Institute and Chair of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance added “The partnership between the Fashion Task Force and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance provides fashion brands with a unique platform for transformative and sustainable action – connecting the dots between landscapes and closets to transition towards regenerative value chains that support biodiversity and local livelihoods while mitigating climate change.”
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Global Forest Summit on 24 March, organised by Reforest’Action and the Open Diplomacy Institute, highlighted the work of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance.
The GFS closing session reflected on how the development of a circular bioeconomy is an opportunityto rethink holistically our landcapes and cities as well as our food and industrial systems to create a nature-positive and climate-neutral world.
Marc Palahí, CBA Chair emphasised that “a circular bioeconomy is about investing in nature as the true engine of our economy, and is about managing sustainably our biological systems to produce in synergistic way food, energy, biobased solutions to decarbonize our economy, while creating new jobs.”
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales emphasised in his closing speech that while the Glasgow Declaration offers us a helpful framework, achieving results requires transformative action on the ground. “This is why in 2020 I established the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance to create community led regenerative landscapes that work for nature, people and the planet. Working in harmony and in partnership with local and indigenous communities I am delighted to say that we are already piloting regeneration initiatives in 10 countries”, he said.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Local communities, AstraZeneca, NGPTA, local partners and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance have established the first ‘Living Lab’ in Ghana. This community-led forest restoration project aims to plant and steward 4.5 million trees by the end of 2025 and establish circular business models for local communities.
The project, co-designed with local stakeholders, will restore 2,500 hectares of dry and savannah forest and demonstrate the benefits of biodiversity regeneration to the local economy, through the creation of local jobs and training programmes. The project also establishes 1,000 hectares of woodlots to grow sustainable timber and fuel wood and 1,500 hectares of agroforestry and regenerative agriculture.
The natural forested land in the Atebubu and Wiase districts in central Ghana has been subject to degradation and habitat change due to heavy encroachment and tree cutting for charcoal and timber. Local communities face challenging economic conditions and a deteriorating natural environment.
Integrating both traditional knowledge, technology and innovative farming methods, the projects in Atebubu and Wiase place the local communities at the heart of landscape restoration. The programme will combine natural forest restoration, agroforestry and woodlots, benefiting people, society and planet, through:
Enhanced biodiversity, improved soil and local air quality, protected watersheds
Improved livelihoods through employment in tree nurseries and the timber value chain
The creation of nature-based business models for smallholder farmers
Project planting began in August 2021, with an initial trial of 100,000 tree seedlings. Further planting will take place over the next four years, beginning in May this year.
Jason Snape, Head of Environmental Protection, AstraZeneca, says “At AstraZeneca, we are committed to helping to restore forests for the health of people, society and the planet. The Living Lab in Ghana is a unique public-private partnership working with local communities to build social and ecological resilience, while inspiring action towards a circular bioeconomy. As part of our AZ Forest programme, we are proud to support the restoration of biodiversity and local livelihoods.”
Marc Palahi, Circular Bioeconomy Alliance Chair, said: “With the support of AstraZeneca, we have co-designed and are implementing forest actions based on sound scientific evidence and inclusive dialogue, creating public-private-community partnerships to foster ecological and community resilience in central Ghana.”
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
We have over 15 Living Labs in our global network, spread across four continents. To celebrate the International Day of Forests, watch our new video to find out more about the ideas behind the Living Labs – and meet some of those working on the ground to connect the dots.
Our Living Labs demonstrate how investing in nature and empowering local and indigenous communities can catalyse the development of circular bioeconomy value chains while restoring biodiversity and local livelihoods. They are the start of a journey towards regenerative landscapes and resilient communities.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) was established by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 2020. The CBA is an action-oriented partnership that connects the dots between investors, companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations and local communities to advance the circular bioeconomy on the ground while restoring biodiversity globally.
The diversity of new members reflects the nature of the Alliance, which includes large and small intergovernmental organizations, companies, investors, research organizations and NGOs, who provide expertise and implement projects in areas related to the circular bioeconomy.
CBA Coordinator, Yitagesu Tekle commented: “The CBA is growing fast both in membership and actions on the ground. Credible and reliable local partners and science-based organizations are crucial to ensure that the CBA’s initiatives consider local context, knowledge and tradition, as well as being based on up-to-date scientific knowledge and technology. I would like to warmly welcome the new organizations – the CBA secretariat is looking forward to working together with them to bring the circular bioeconomy from niche to norm.”
The CBA’s current activities include forest landscape restoration and agroforestry projects in Africa, Europe, South America and Asia. Its global network of Living Labs for Nature, People and Planet catalyze action on the ground and demonstrate how harmony can be achieved by empowering nature and people.
More information
The Alliance is facilitated by a Secretariat hosted by the European Forest Institute. For more information please contact:
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The first physical gathering of the CBA secretariat, Living Lab implementers and donors was held in January 2022, at Dumfries House in Scotland.
The CBA secretariat and implementers discussed the state of play of the Living Labs being established around the world, enabling people leading the projects on the ground to share experiences, align visions, and discuss long-term strategies to scale activities. Discussions were also held with donors and companies participating in the value chains and financial vehicles to deploy capital at scale.
A roundtable was held with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, the secretariat, Living Lab implementers and donors. This discussed the state of play of the CBA Living Labs and expected impacts in the coming years as well as the urgency to deploy capital at scale to accelerate land restoration, building on the success of the CBA Living Labs approach.
The participants were honoured to meet His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
“The CBA meeting at Dumfries House was a truly inspirational”, said Yitagesu Tekle Tegegne, CBA Coordinator. “The discussions with the donors and the CBA Living Labs implementers who are carring out the amazing works of the Alliance on the ground around the world were rich, inspiring, and educational. Everybody left the gathering motivated and energized.”
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is building a global network of Living Labs for Nature, People and Planet. Our Living Labs demonstrate how harmony can be achieved by empowering nature and people in a concrete territorial context, integrating traditional knowledge, capitalizing on new research and innovation and based on public-private partnerships that place local communities at their centre. Each Living Lab uses a landscape restoration project as the starting point to catalyse the development of circular bioeconomy value chains while restoring biodiversity and local livelihoods. They are the start of a journey towards more resilient communities and landscapes.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Uganda Biohub, one of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance’s Living Labs for Nature, People and Planet is featured on the Terra Carta X-Change, a new interactive digital hub that showcases impactful sustainability projects across the globe. The Biohub project aims to restore a forest landscape of 5,000ha in Uganda and protect it from deforestation, while also producing commercial timber products for the market.
The Terra Carta X-Change has been launched by the Sustainable Markets Initiative to help bring attention and investment to sustainable solutions to address the climate crisis. The hub also showcases the range of insurance products in place to support sustainable projects across all sectors and in all regions of the world.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Hosted by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales’s Terra Carta Action Forum, Lombard Odier convened a Natural Capital Investment Alliance (NCIA) and Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) event on 4 November 2021.
Bringing together leaders from across the investment, business, government, and scientific communities, this event connected the dots between investors, investable circular bioeconomy solutions, and natural capital opportunities in order to outline the path towards a prosperous, inclusive, net zero and nature-positive economy.
Speakers included:
Marc Palahí, CBA Chair and Director of the European Forest Institute
Hubert Keller, Senior Managing Partner at Lombard Odier Group
Nathalie Seddon, Professor of Biodiversity and Director of the Nature-Based Solutions Initiative at The University of Oxford
Professor Lee White CBE, Minister of Forests, Oceans, Environment and Climate Change for the Gabonese Republic
Tony O’Sullivan, Founding Partner of Pollination
Read the event highlights on the Lombard Odier website:
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Watch the address by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales on 2 November 2021 at the COP26 World Leaders Summit ‘Action on Forests and Land Use’
“I established the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance last year to connect the dots between investors and local communities in order to create regenerative and inclusive landscapes and sustainable value chains that work for Nature and people… We need to put our words and commitments into practice. This is why, while I speak, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is working with local communities in four continents to restore thousands of hectares in more than 10 countries to deliver practical solutions through initially what we are calling Living Laboratories. By doing so we will I hope inspire an entire generation of humanity who will be equipped to make the changes we so desperately need.”
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is pleased to announce that six new organisations have joined its work to place nature and people at the heart of a global circular bioeconomy.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) was established by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 2020. The Alliance aims to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy that is climate neutral, inclusive and prospers in harmony with nature, by providing knowledge-informed support and a learning and networking platform. It connects the dots between investors, companies, local communities, governmental and non-governmental organizations to advance the circular bioeconomy – while also restoring biodiversity.
The diversity of new members reflects the nature of the Alliance, which includes large and small intergovernmental organizations, companies, investors, research organizations and NGOs, who provide expertise and implement projects in areas related to the circular bioeconomy.
Current activities include forest landscape restoration and agroforestry projects in Africa, Europe, South America and Asia. The CBA is building a global network of Living Labs for Nature, People and Planet which catalyze action on the ground and demonstrate how harmony can be achieved by empowering nature and people.
More information
The Alliance is facilitated by a Secretariat hosted by the European Forest Institute. For more information please contact:
Marc Palahí, Chair of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (firstname.lastname @ efi.int)
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Five new organisations have joined the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, committing to its vision of a world which places Nature at the heart of the global circular bioeconomy.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was established by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales under his Sustainable Markets Initiative in 2020. The Alliance aims to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy that is climate neutral, inclusive and prospers in harmony with nature, by providing knowledge-informed support and a learning and networking platform. It connects the dots between investors, companies, local communities, governmental and non-governmental organizations to advance the circular bioeconomy – while also restoring biodiversity.
Current activities include forest landscape restoration and agroforestry projects in Africa, South America and Asia.
These include:
Atebubu & Wiase Forest Landscape Restoration: Living Lab for community and ecological resilience in Ghana
The Eastern Himalayan Living Lab: Rural Futures through Natural Capital
Living Lab for Resilient Coffee Landscapes for People and Nature in Colombia
“The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is becoming a true global movement powered by Nature and People. The Alliance is not only connecting investors with investable solutions through the first Natural Capital Investment Fund of its kind, but it is also catalyzing action on the ground to demonstrate through Living Laboratories that a new economy inspired, powered and prospering in harmony with Nature is not only possible but it is the only way forward. Our new members reflect well the nature of our network: companies and organizations, big and small, from all corners of the world sharing a common vision: a sustainable future where life (bio) becomes its true engine!”
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Our online forum Nature at the heart of a global circular bioeconomy on 19 March brought together over 1,000 participants from the global north and south. This was the first ever event to take a value chain approach and connect the dots between investment, innovation, sustainability and the circular bioeconomy in the global north and south.
The event was opened by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, who emphasised that we have a unique but narrow window of opportunity to transform our economy. We need to invest in nature, act for health and wellbeing, and recognise the true value of biodiversity.
His message was echoed by European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen who said that we need to act now and we must act together. Bioeconomy is global, so are its value chains and therefore its challenges.
Sharon Ikeazor, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Environment agreed. Restoring nature is essential to us achieving sustainable development she said; we see that our present economic models are a threat to nature and to our wellbeing.
EFI Director Marc Palahí pointed out that to create a circular bioeconomy we urgently need transformative policies and massive investments: not necessarily for massive projects, but for holistic, inclusive ones, across the whole value chain. This was echoed by Lee White, Minister of Water, Forest, the Sea and Environment in Gabon who emphasised that he wanted to see developed countries encouraging their industries to invest in developing countries; responsible investment could help Gabon to add value to its forests locally.
The event’s four sessions focused on four key issues to catalyse systemic change, and enable the transition towards a circular bioeconomy:
How can we use the circular bioeconomy as an effective tool to build more sustainable, more prosperous, and more inclusive societies with plenty of opportunities for new jobs and industries?
How much wood do we have to support a transformational change to a sustainable bioeconomy? And for what purposes should we use it?
How we can we ensure that latest innovations and technologies are transferred to the global south?
How can we unleash the power of private finance to help scale up circular bioeconomy models?
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is pleased to announce that six new organisations have joined its global work to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy that is climate neutral, inclusive and prospers in harmony with nature.
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance was established by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales under his Sustainable Markets Initiative in 2020. The Alliance provides knowledge-informed support as well as a learning and networking platform to connect the dots between investors, companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations and local communities to advance the circular bioeconomy while restoring biodiversity globally.
Current activities include forest landscape restoration and agroforestry projects in Africa, South America, India and South-East Asia , as well as a global digital forum, Nature at the heart of a global circular bioeconomy, which takes place on 19 March. After the Natural Capital strategy launched by Lombard Odier in the framework of the Alliance in November 2020, new Funds for start-ups and scale-ups are already under discussion.
CBA Coordinator Marc Palahí said: “I look forward to working with our new members as we need to scale-up science-informed action globally to create a new economy powered by Nature”.
More information
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative. Founding donors and partners of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance include: Sitra (The Finnish Innovation Fund), UPM, Astra Zeneca, Lombard Odier, New Generation Plantations Technical Assistance, Pretaterra, The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), World Agrofrestry (ICRAF), The World Economic Forum (WEF), The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Dasos Capital Oy, Wellbeing Economy Alliance, The World Resources Institute (WRI), The European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF), The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).
More information: Marc Palahí (firstname.lastname @ efi.int) www.efi.int/cba
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is facilitated by the European Forest Institute (EFI), an independent international science organization which generates, connects and shares knowledge at the interface between science and policy.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance held its first event on 16 November, launching one of its flagship initiatives, a Natural Capital strategy developed by founding member Lombard Odier.
The online event “Driving change: Connecting investors to sustainable investable solutions” was opened by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. It discussed the opportunity to value and invest in our natural capital to drive economic growth as well as prosperity within our planetary boundaries.
The Natural Capital strategy is a unique global equity fund, which is directly inspired by HRH The Prince of Wales and developed in partnership with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, established under his Sustainable Markets Initiative. The first-of-its-kind strategy targets investment opportunities that accelerate the transformation towards a circular bioeconomy and a leaner form of industry.
Hubert Keller, Managing Partner of Lombard Odier Group and CEO of Lombard Odier IM said: “The investment industry, which represents $120 trillion of capital, will always seek returns as a primary objective. Today some of the most convincing returns opportunities lie in the transition to a more sustainable economic model, putting climate transition and nature centre stage.
“That is why we are launching the first Natural Capital Strategy, inspired by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales and in collaboration with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. By investing in companies that align their business models to the concept of Harnessing or Preserving Nature, our Natural Capital strategy has identified an untapped investment opportunity – one that we believe will deliver strong returns for investors and help accelerate the transition to a more sustainable economy.”
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance aims to drive transformational change to a climate and nature positive economy by connecting investors to sustainable investable solutions. Marc Palahí, Director of the European Forest Institute and Coordinator of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance said: “In a circular bioeconomy life becomes the true engine and true purpose of the economy, creating sustainable wellbeing in harmony with nature. The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is a response to the call to action by HRH The Prince of Wales to put the world on a sustainable path. Our first Alliance event demonstrates that.”
More information
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative. Founding donors and partners of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance include: Sitra (The Finnish Innovation Fund), UPM, Astra Zeneca, Lombard Odier, New Generation Plantations Technical Assistance, Pretaterra, The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), World Agrofrestry (ICRAF), The World Economic Forum (WEF), The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Dasos Capital Oy, Wellbeing Economy Alliance, The World Resources Institute (WRI), The European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF), The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).
More information: Marc Palahí (firstname.lastname @ efi.int) www.efi.int/cba
The Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is facilitated by the European Forest Institute (EFI), an independent international science organization which generates, connects and shares knowledge at the interface between science and policy.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
An article published in Solutions Journal sets out a 10-point Action Plan to create a circular bioeconomy devoted to sustainable wellbeing.
The COVID-19 crisis and future recovery presents a unique opportunity to transition towards a sustainable wellbeing economy centered around people and nature. The Action Plan is a call for global, holistic and transformative action to put the world on a sustainable path, and features the latest scientific insights and breakthrough technologies from a number of disciplines and sectors.
Coordinated by EFI Director Marc Palahí, the Action Plan sets out the importance of moving towards a circular bioeconomy to holistically transform and manage our land, food, health and industrial systems with the goal of achieving sustainable wellbeing in harmony with nature.
“The Action Plan is our response to HRH The Prince of Wales’ recent call to invest in nature as the true engine for our economy”, said Marc Palahí. “It is divided up into six transformative action points, and four enabling action points, which mutually reinforce each other and should be implemented in an integrated manner.
The 10 action points include:
Aim at sustainable wellbeing
Invest in nature and biodiversity
Ensure an equitable distribution of prosperity
Rethink holistically land, food and health systems
Transform industrial sectors
Reimagine cities through ecological lenses
Create an enabling regulatory framework
Bring purposeful innovation to the investment and political agenda
Ensure access to finance and enhance risk-taking capacity
Intensify and broaden research and education
More information
A 10-point Action Plan to create a circular bioeconomy devoted to sustainable wellbeing.
M. Palahí, M. Pantsar, R. Costanza, I. Kubiszewski, J. Potočnik, M. Stuchtey, R. Nasi, H. Lovins, E. Giovannini, L. Fioramonti, S. Dixson-Declève, J. McGlade, K. Pickett, R. Wilkinson, J. Holmgren, K. Trebeck, S. Wallis, M. Ramage, G. Berndes, F. K. Akinnifesi, K.V. Ragnarsdóttir, B. Muys, G. Safonov, A. D. Nobre, C. Nobre, D. Ibañez, A. Wijkman, J. Snape, L. Bas. 2020. Investing in Nature to Transform the Post COVID-19 Economy. Solutions Journal, Volume 11, issue 2.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
10-point Action Plan to Create a Circular Bioeconomy of Wellbeing published.
Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales calls for Nature to be put at the centre of the economy.
A new study published by the European Forest Institute calls for collective action to put nature at the heart of the economy and set the world on a sustainable path.
Written by a multidisciplinary team of over 25 authors, led by EFI Director Marc Palahí, the 10-point Action Plan for a Circular Bioeconomy of Wellbeing brings together the latest scientific insights and breakthrough technologies to offer a solution to current global challenges.
The publication features a Foreword by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, who says: “I have been deeply encouraged by the number of scientists and practitioners who have come together to develop a 10-point Circular Bioeconomy Action Plan inspired by my Sustainable Markets Initiative and its Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. It is time for leaders, across all disciplines, to step forward, be bold in their ambition and demonstrate what is possible so that others can follow.”
The Action Plan emphasises the importance of moving towards a circular bioeconomy to holistically transform and manage our land, food, health and industrial systems with the goal of achieving sustainable wellbeing in harmony with nature.
“It has been an honour to work with The Prince of Wales, who inspired and contributed to The Action Plan”, said Marc Palahí. “The Action Plan forms the framework for the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance established by His Royal Highness to accelerate the transition towards a Circular Bioeconomy. I am proud that EFI will coordinate such a transformative initiative.”
“Global challenges like climate change, and biodiversity loss, coupled with a growing and highly urbanised population call for new ways of producing and consuming within our planetary boundaries”, says co-author Mari Pantsar, who is Director of Carbon-neutral circular economy at The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. “We need a transition to a circular economy.”
At the same time, we need to achieve sustainability while ensuring equitable prosperity. The health and wellbeing of our citizens is a strong incentive to rethink our land, food and health systems, transform our industries and reimagine our cities.
The study sets out 10 Action Points which are needed to create a circular bioeconomy based on a synergistic relationship between economy and ecology:
Focus on sustainable wellbeing
Invest in nature and biodiversity
Generate an equitable distribution of prosperity
Rethink land, food and health systems holistically
Transform industrial sectors
Reimagine cities through ecological lenses
Create an enabling regulatory framework
Deliver mission-oriented innovation to the investment and political agenda
Enable access to finance and enhance risk-taking capacity
Intensify and broaden research and education
More information
Marc Palahí, EFI Director (marc.palahi @ efi.int) +358 10 773 4342 Rach Colling, Head of Communications, EFI (rach.colling @ efi.int) +358 50 5956717
Palahí, M., Pantsar, M., Costanza, R., Kubiszewski, I., Potočnik, J., Stuchtey, M., Nasi, R., Lovins, H., Giovannini, E., Fioramonti, L., Dixson-Declève, S., McGlade, J., Pickett, K., Wilkinson, R., Holmgren, J., Trebeck, K., Wallis, S., Ramage, M., Berndes, G., Akinnifesi, F.K., Ragnarsdóttir, K.V., Muys, B., Safonov, G., Nobre, A.D., Nobre, C., Ibañez, D., Wijkman, A., Snape, J., Bas, L. 2020. Investing in Nature as the true engine of our economy: A 10-point Action Plan for a Circular Bioeconomy of Wellbeing. Knowledge to Action 02, European Forest Institute.
The publication was developed within the framework of the Sustainable Markets Initiative of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. It received support from Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund.
About EFI
The European Forest Institute (EFI) is an independent international science organization which generates, connects and shares knowledge at the interface between science and policy. EFI has 29 member countries who have ratified the Convention, and c.130 member organizations in 40 countries, working in diverse research fields.
This news item relates to the EFI-led initiative which ran from 2020 to September 2023
Leading representatives from science, investors and industry today met with HRH The Prince of Wales to discuss how to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy to enable a carbon-neutral, renewable and inclusive economy that prospers in harmony with nature.
The need to react to the COVID-19 crisis is a unique opportunity to transform our economy and put forward the change that our society needs to create a sustainable and desirable future.
A Circular Bioeconomy Roundtable convened by HRH The Prince of Wales today discussed how this should be done: not just by designing recovery packages, but by transformative action to trigger mission-oriented innovation, attract investments and rethink business models and markets. Leading figures from science, the investment community and industry discussed how a circular bioeconomy offers game-changing solutions and is a crucial concept to move towards a carbon-neutral, renewable and inclusive economy that prospers in harmony with nature.
A circular bioeconomy uses renewable natural capital to holistically transform and manage our land, food, health and industrial systems with the goal of achieving sustainable wellbeing. The latest scientific insights and breakthrough technologies have been described in a new 10-Point Action Plan to catalyse a circular bioeconomy of wellbeing, coordinated by European Forest Institute Director Marc Palahí.
“The Action Plan is our response to HRH The Prince of Wales’ call to invest in nature as the true engine for our economy”, said Marc Palahí, who moderated the roundtable. “We brought together over 25 authors from across scientific disciplines to consider what global, holistic and transformative action we can take to put the world on a sustainable path.”
The Action Plan will serve as the guiding document for a new Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, to be established by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales under his Sustainable Markets Initiative. EFI will play a key role in the newly established Alliance by facilitating the provision of knowledge-informed support, as well as providing a networking platform to connect the dots between investors, companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations to advance the circular bioeconomy globally.
The President of the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, Jyrki Katainen, who participated in the roundtable emphasized “This is a great opportunity to advance the circular economy and an important platform for a dialogue between investors, business and science, alongside the World Circular Economy Forum. Sitra is very happy to partner with EFI and contribute to a forward looking and informed dialogue.”
The Circular Bioeconomy Roundtable took place within the framework of HRH’s Sustainable Markets Initiative, launched at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos in January 2020. Since the COVID crisis, HRH has been working with global leaders and the World Economic Forum to determine how Sustainable Markets can serve as a catalyst to ‘Build Back Better’ and leapfrog our ambitions for a more sustainable future. The Circular Bioeconomy Roundtable is the first initiative of the ‘Great Reset’, launched on 3 June.
The Sustainable Markets Initiative consists of key high-level corporate, national and international leaders and explores creative solutions, models sustainable leadership and champions sustainable markets at a global scale. EFI Director Marc Palahí was appointed to the Sustainable Markets Expert Network in February 2020.
For further information please contact:
Marc Palahí, EFI Director (marc.palahi @ efi.int) +358 10 773 4342
Rach Colling, Head of Communications, EFI (rach.colling @ efi.int) +358 50 5956717
About EFI
The European Forest Institute (EFI) is an independent international science organization which generates, connects and shares knowledge at the interface between science and policy. EFI has 29 member countries who have ratified the Convention, and c.120 member organizations in 38 countries, working in diverse research fields.
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