You are here

580b57fcd9996e24bc43c53e   LinkedIn Logo 500x500   Facebook logo square   Instagram icon

event icon
Date
19.02.25
Start time
09:00
End time
17:00
City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London E16 1ZE

Prioritising wellbeing: evidence needs for action


This one-day conference is hosted by the Natural Capital Initiative (NCI), a partnership between the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), James Hutton Institute, and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH). 

The aim of the NCI is to support decision-making that results in the sustainable management of our natural capital, facilitating cross-sector dialogue between people from academia, policy, business and civil society. The Summit and resulting report will determine what further evidence is needed to help achieve sustainable management of natural capital, with a focus on underpinning several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). 


Event Description

The Summit will kick-off with a morning of talks, questions and answers with leading figures, including taking stock of progress since the previous NCI summit in 2019.

Cross-sector attendees will then meet, discuss and debate via an afternoon of breakout sessions, focused on answering core questions ‘What further evidence is needed to help':
  • mutually enhance nature restoration, public health and wellbeing?
  • systemically embed sustainable management of natural capital in financial and economic systems?
  • mitigate and adapt to changing environmental conditions and natural resource needs?
Sessions will be interspersed with networking periods, allowing different sector representatives to connect, share further insights and consider the latest research.

Confirmed Speakers

  • Professor Alison Hester, Senior Scientist and Head of Climate-Positive Farming Initiative, James Hutton Institute
  • Professor Rosie Hails MBE, Director of Science and Nature for the National Trust, and Chair of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Biodiversity Expert Committee (BEC)
  • Richard Spencer, Director of Sustainability at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
  • Maddie Millington-Drake, Senior Climate Project Manager at the Blue Marine Foundation
  • Georgina Gerard, Wildlife Disease Risk Analysis and Health Surveillance (DRAHS) Project Manager at Zoological Society of London (ZSL) 
  • Kai Liebtanz, Head of Nature at the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

A draft programme is available to download.

Bookings

This in-person event is open to people from academia, policy, business sectors and civil society, who hold expertise and interest in sustainable development and management of natural capital. Advance booking is essential through the link at the top of the page, the deadline for registration is 9th February.

Standard Ticket: £120
Student Ticket: £100

During booking, please also note your first choice discussion for the two afternoon sessions through the drop down menus, and we will take these into account when allocating attendees.

Parallel Sessions 1 - Nature based solutions for public health: Evidence Needs for action 
  • How can we mitigate and adapt to future environmental shocks and the impacts of these?
  • How can cities adapt to current environmental crises? 
  • How can we help mitigate the impact of environmental degradation, including waste and pollution, on human health? 
  • How can we utilise natural capital to drive improved, equitable societal health and wellbeing? 

Parallel sessions 2 - Scaling up a green economy : Evidence needs for action 
  • How can frameworks such as the Principles for Responsible Banking and TNFD support assessment and opportunity within environmental supply chains?
  • How can we sustainably and productively balance differing land and water use needs? 
  • How can we develop the natural capital workforce of the future, including via education and training? 
  • How can we mobilise finance for natural capital and help drive economic growth?

Submit an abstract 

We are accepting abstracts for scientific posters to be showcased at the NCI Summit 2025. To submit an abstract, create a free mySociety account (or log in if you are an RSB member), then follow the instructions at the bottom of this event page. The deadline for submissions has been extended to 23:59 on 27th January 2025

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

This event is approved by the Royal Society of Biology for purposes of CPD and can be counted as 15 CPD points. 

Special requirements

If you have accessibility requirements, please let us know during your booking using the additional information options, and we will do what we can to accommodate your needs.

Contact

For general enquiries about this event, please contact Kieran Woof at kieran.woof@rsb.org.uk
For booking enquiries, please contact Lucy Eckersley at events@rsb.org.uk

The Natural Capital Initiative is a partnership of leading science organisations: Royal Society of BiologyUK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, and the James Hutton Institute.