Leveraging Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for Net Zero, Nature Positive, and Business Resilience

Date and Time

December 1, 2023
5:30 pm-6:30 pm GST

Location

Dubai (Business and Buildings Pavilion, Blue Zone)

Topic

Nature | Climate Change

There is no net zero without nature, yet concerns about integrity in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) make companies hesitant to invest in nature-based solutions (NbS). This session will review the interconnections between climate, nature, and people with nature-based solutions (NbS), both for individual corporate climate strategies as well as global contributions to net zero and sustainable development.

Natura will share examples of working on issues of nature loss and community resilience with Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in the Amazon, and the LEAF Coalition will discuss how innovative financing models can drive needed financing to stem nature loss while also delivering on corporate net-zero and nature positive commitments.  

The Business Pavilion is in Thematic Arena 3, in the Opportunity petal of the COP Blue Zone. It is pavilion TA3 - 240 on the COP floorplan, on the first floor.

Scheduled Speakers

• Aron Cramer, President and CEO, BSR
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Aron Cramer
President and CEO, BSR
San Francisco
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Aron is recognized globally as a preeminent authority on just and sustainable business. In addition to leading BSR, which has grown substantially throughout his tenure as President and CEO, Aron advises senior executives at BSR’s 300+ member companies and other global businesses and partners on the full spectrum of environmental, social, and governance issues.
Aron joined BSR in 1995 as the founding director of its Business and Human Rights program. He later opened BSR's Paris office in 2002, where he worked until becoming President and CEO in 2004. Aron has served on advisory boards to CEOs at AXA, Barrick Gold, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Recruit Holdings, SAP, Shell, and he serves as a director of the We Mean Business Coalition and RISE.
Aron speaks frequently at leading business and public fora and is widely quoted in top-tier media, such as the Financial Times, Le Figaro (France), The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Axios, and Politico. He is co-author of the book Sustainable Excellence: The Future of Business in a Fast-Changing World, which spotlights innovative sustainability strategies that enable business success.
Prior to joining BSR, Aron practiced law in San Francisco and worked as a journalist at ABC News in New York. He holds a BA from Tufts University and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley.
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• Erin Leitheiser, Associate Director, Nature, BSR
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Erin Leitheiser
Associate Director, Nature, BSR
Copenhagen
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Erin helps lead BSR’s nature team where she focuses on the climate/nature nexus, including credits, nature-based solutions (NbS), and beyond value chain mitigation.
She leads engagements with companies to evaluate their nature impacts, devise nature positive strategies, and implement operational and supply chain solutions that further both biodiversity and decarbonization goals. She also works closely with companies on supplier engagement for Scope 3 emissions reductions and nature action, helping to develop resources like the Supplier Engagement Guide and the Climate Fit: Net Zero Training course on the SME Climate Hub. 
Erin brings more than 18 years of experience, including remaining on the faculty at Copenhagen Business School following her prior role as an Assistant Professor. Before academia, Erin worked in CSR and sustainability at Target, where she built external partnerships and developed strategies to drive both business resilience and community impact. She began her career in sustainability consulting, working on public policy and social impact projects for nonprofit, public, and private clients.  
Erin holds a PhD in Sustainability Governance from Copenhagen Business School, a MSc in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a BA in Honors History from Gustavus Adolphus College. 
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• Keyvan Macedo, Sustainability Director, Natura & Co
• Eron Bloomgarden, Founder and CEO, Emergent (coordinator of the LEAF Coalition)