Earlier this month, the National Landscapes Association’s Development and Nature-based Solutions team took their message to the Blue Earth Summit in London. 

Now in its fifth year, this innovative three-day environmental conference brings together over 7,000 attendees from across multiple sectors to explore how collaboration can drive change towards a regenerative and sustainable future. 

Over the past two years, the team has been working tirelessly to develop new ways to fund vital nature recovery work across National Landscapes and Blue Earth Summit provided the perfect platform to showcase this work and highlight the buyer and investment opportunities available for businesses seeking to make a positive environmental impact. 

Throughout the event, the team connected with policymakers, investors, and potential partners, discussing the ongoing work across National Landscapes and encouraging attendees to envision what 2050 could look like if we work together towards a nature-positive future. 

While Amber Lauder, Hannah Wilcox-Brook, Rebecca Hunt, and Kirsty Brown took every opportunity to engage with attendees at the National Landscapes stand, John Watkins, CEO of the National Landscapes Association, joined a panel discussion alongside Katie-Jo Luxton from the RSPB, chaired by Mairead Cahill. The panel explored hopes and concerns for the future of the UK’s landscapes. 

During the discussion, John highlighted the landscape-scale work underway through the Big Chalk programme, emphasising the importance of creating investable propositions within it. This reflects the National Landscapes Association’s commitment to building a nature-positive and connected economy, bridging the environmental and private sectors through genuine partnership. 

As Amber Lauder, Development Officer at the National Landscapes Association, explained: “Many businesses understand that they have an impact on nature and, excitingly, there’s growing appetite on their side to do more.” 

“This was reflected in the roundtable sessions that we were lucky enough to attend, the first hosted by Rewilding Britain, and the second, hosted by BNP Paribas, which sparked insightful discussions on how and why businesses engage with nature, as well as the major barriers and risks associated with engagement.  

“Attending the event made it clear that we have a wonderful proposition and can work with businesses to help them engage in nature in a variety of ways, whether that is from an investment perspective, a risk management perspective or a social responsibility perspective. Being there gave us the opportunity to communicate our vision for 2050 and tell our story to a new audience.”