Finance for Biodiversity Summit: breakout sessions

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Action-focused collaborative sessions

Designed to tackle challenges and identify solutions, the summit will feature technical and collaborative breakout sessions allowing participants to dive deeper into pressing biodiversity finance topics with peers and experts. Participants will choose to attend one of the sessions.

Breakout session 1:

Forests as natural capital – financing the next generation of nature-positive land use

Hosts: AGRI3 Fund

This interactive “world café” session explores how innovative blended finance and risk-sharing models can unlock large-scale investment in forest protection, restoration, and sustainable land-use transitions. Building on the outcomes of COP30 in Belém, it connects the forest finance agenda with the public and private sector’s role in delivering measurable biodiversity and climate outcomes.

 

Moderators
  • Avital van Meijeren Karp, Impact and safeguards lead, DFCD, WWF
  • Maurik Jehee, Principal Investment Officer Forestry, FMO
  • Mareike Hussels, Business Development Manager, Triodos Investment Management 
  • Jeromine Bertrand, Programme Director – Investment Development, IDH 

Breakout session 2:

Evolution of the data landscape – solutions to embed biodiversity into finance

Hosts: Finance for Biodiversity

This session will showcase practical data solutions that help financial institutions integrate biodiversity into decision-making. Three presentations by leading data providers, in collaboration with a financial institution, will highlight different approaches, use cases, and lessons learned.

The session will conclude with a moderated discussion bringing together all speakers to explore common barriers, opportunities, and next steps for scaling adoption across the sector.

Speakers
  • Diane Roissard, Head of Nature Strategies, Finance for Biodiversity 
  • Christopher Perceval, Global Head of Sustainability Market Engagement, S&P Global
  • Lisa Eichler, Head of Physical Risk and Nature Solutions, MSCI
  • Mahima Sukhdev, Chief Growth Officer, GIST Impact

Breakout session 3:

The emerging landscape of nature in transition planning

Hosts: WWF

Delivering against the Global Biodiversity Framework will require a fundamental shift in how business and financial institutions operate. This session aims to share real-world examples, and spark dialogue, on embedding nature in transition planning, which is an emerging approach that can support this shift.

Speakers
  • Nicolas Poolen, Senior Manager, Nature Positive Finance, WWF International
  • Thomas Maddox, Director of Nature, CDP
  • Dr Caroline Van Leenders, Program Manager Nature Finance, Netherlands Enterprise Agency
  • Emily McKenzie, Technical Director, TNFD
  • Jorie van Rooijen, Corporate Sustainability Manager, ASR

Breakout session 4:

Bridging the gap: Tailored biodiversity impact assessment for financial institutions

Hosts: Finance for Biodiversity

Financial institutions need tailored, context-specific guidance to conduct biodiversity impact assessments robustly and transparently. This interactive session will dig into what useful impact assessment guidance for the finance sector should look like in practice. Working in small groups —alongside experts from NPI, PBAF, EU B&B Platform, UNEP-WCMC and other leading organisations — participants will help shape the core elements of practical, fit-for-purpose guidance that reflects the reality and diversity of financial institutions: different asset classes, types of FIs, decision-making contexts and capacities.

Speakers
  • Julen Gonzalez, Technical Director, FfB Foundation
  • Marco Lambertini, Convener, Nature Positive Initiative
  • Wijnand Broer, Programme Manager, PBAF
  • Johan Lammerant, Lead Workstream Methods (EU B&B Platform); Global Technical Director Nature & Biodiversity (Arcadis)
  • Joanna Wolstenholme, Senior Programme Officer, UNEP WCMC

Breakfast breakout session:

Natural capital assets & nature

Hosts: Finance for Biodiversity real assets working group (limited capacity)

An interactive session to explore how natural capital assets interact with nature and to collectively envision what a due diligence tool for financial institutions could look like.

Through group work and discussion, participants will identify key topics, data needs, and frameworks that can inform the development of a Natural Capital Due Diligence Questionnaire (DDQ). The exercise will help lay the groundwork for a practical tool to assess nature-related impacts, dependencies, and opportunities in agriculture, forestry, livestock farming, and aquaculture investments.

Moderated by:
  • Diane Roissard, Finance for Biodiversity Foundation
  • Joana Colaço, Finance for Biodiversity Foundation

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