A new key biodiversity platform for cross sectoral collaboration
For its inaugural launch, World Biodiversity Summit will help define what world leaders and the private sector in biodiversity and climate action need to do in the medium and long term to achieve sustainable development and hinder further biodiversity loss, focusing on partnerships and investment mechanisms as levers of progress. World Biodiversity Summit is a platform for responding to accelerating biodiversity loss, by using the Paris Agreement as a framework to learn from, promoting relevant solutions, innovations, and leadership networks, strengthening nature restoration and conservation. Nature-based solutions will be highlighted, from specificecosystems to global possibilities.
SPEAKERS
SPEAKERS
SPEAKERS
26 September 2024
SECOND, New York, USA
Climate Week NYC
26 October 2024
MUSEO - Museo La Tertulia,
Cali, Colombia
alongside UNCBD COP16​
Jessica Smith
Nature Lead,
UNEP FI
Jessica Smith (BES, MA, MCom) leads the Nature workstream at the UNEP Finance Initiative since 2020, promoting leadership in sustainable finance across banking, insurance and investment. For the previous 7 years she directed a consultancy firm undertaking environmental finance project development and evaluation, and leading secretariats for the Equator Principles Association (environmental and social risk in Project Finance for 100+ financial institutions) and the Cross-Sector Biodiversity Initiative (applying IFC performance standard 6 on biodiversity in oil & gas, mining, and finance). Prior to this Jessica worked for UNEP-WCMC, IUCN and UNDP, mobilising pro-poor environment and development finance, globally and especially across Africa. Jessica aims to bridge research and practice on nature finance and was recently lead author of the first academic publication linking conservation finance, blended finance and community-led conservation.
