Paving the way to a nature-positive future: 4 landmark events in 10 days
Australia’s commitment to a nature-positive future has gained significant momentum this month, marked by four landmark events within just ten days.
Healthy Land & Water, one of Australia’s largest Natural Resource Management (NRM) organisations, played a pivotal role in each of these events, showcasing their proactive approach to environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation – and innovative new approaches to scaling up funding to scale up the work needed.
Shaping national policy: Nature Positive Matters initiative
[Australian focus]
On 7 October 2024, Healthy Land & Water’s CEO, Julie McLellan, represented the organisation at the launch of the Australian Government’s “Nature Positive Matters” initiative. As a foundation partner, Healthy Land & Water is helping to establish a network of private sector leaders committed to nature-positive actions.
McLellan emphasised the alignment of this initiative with the Healthy Land & Water’s mission, highlighting their role in strengthening nature-related reporting, investment, and decision-making processes.
Global pathways: Global Nature Positive Summit
[Global focus]
Healthy Land & Water profiles NRM action across Australia
The following day (October 8), saw Healthy Land & Water take centre stage at the Global Nature Positive Summit. Julie McLellan, Healthy Land & Water’s CEO, delivered a powerful presentation on the organisation’s role in integrated landscape management. She showcased how an integrated, landscape-scale approach can foster diverse partnerships, leverage investment, create shared benefits, and empower remote and regional communities. South East Queensland is home to one of the largest NRM's in Australia. While the footprint of SEQ is small in area, it is big in its unique biodiversity and liveability, driving huge population growth. At the same time, it is also one of the most climate-exposed regions. The international crowd were impressed that Australia has 54 NRM groups covering every inch of Australia. Julie talked about these NRM groups being ideally placed to lead integrated landscape management for a sustainable future. Healthy Land & Water is a prime example of integrated, placed based action as the ideal platform from which to scale up for bigger outcomes for the environment. |
International exposure for ENVestor The summit also featured a powerful panel discussion with movers and shakers in landscape management policy and financing. Julie McLellan from Healthy Land & Water and Paul Chatterton from the Landscape Finance Lab joined the Global Director Environment for The World Bank, Valerie Hickey, and the CEO of the Indigenous Desert Alliance, Sam Murray to delve into how to reshape policy and financing to create more environmental action. The session was facilitated by CEO of NRM Regions Australia, Kate Andrews. |
Full on two days of nature-based content Given Healthy Land & Water’s leadership in this space, we were fortunate to have four people on location sharing learnings with national and global counterparts. The Healthy Land & Water contingent: Also in attendance was co-founder in our ENVestor initiative: |
Telstra Business for Nature Action Symposium
[Australian corporate focus]
On October 11, the innovative ENVestor program, a joint venture between Healthy Land & Water and the Landscape Finance Lab, was highlighted at the Telstra Business for Nature Action Symposium. Dr Andrew O’Neill, Chief Science & Sustainability Officer and ENVestor co-founder, participated in a key panel discussion on “Technology, Innovation & Partnership - Enabling Meaningful Business Action on Nature.” Andrew spoke both from his longstanding role at Healthy Land & Water and as co-founder of new Australian large-scale nature-based investment initiative, ENVestor about integrating and scaling up environmental works and the need to connect businesses with high-impact environmental projects, making it easier for companies to invest in nature. Healthy Land & Water was invited by Telstra to have a stand at the event. Our stand featured digital case studies and was manned by Healthy Land & Water’s Alberta Guadagnini (pictured here with Julie McLellan). The Healthy Land & Water contingent at the Telstra event: |
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ENVestor nature-based investment initiative launched
[Local South East Queensland focus]
All this national and global activity followed hot on the heels of the launch of Australia’s innovative new large-scale nature-based investment solution, ENVestor, right here in South East Queensland.
ENVestor was officially launched on 1 October 2024. This initiative unites government, private sector, industry, and community partners to drive new sources of finance into landscape-scale nature restoration in the region.
The collaboration has driven the formation of a program to attract investors by offering a collaborative platform for tackling priority areas such as degraded creeks, waterways, forest habitats, and agricultural land.
The initiative is a proactive response to the urgent need for substantial investment to address environmental decline, biodiversity threats, and climate risks.
Looking ahead: Continued leadership desperately needed
Healthy Land & Water’s leadership in these events underscores our commitment to be at the forefront driving change towards a nature-positive future at local, national, and global levels.
As Australia continues to advance in environmental conservation, Healthy Land & Water is committed to continue its work in demonstrating how regional NRM organisations can lead the way in fostering a sustainable future, and bringing more partners and investors together to accelerate the change needed.