• 27 January 2025
  • Spotlight

Money Grows on Trees: Charting a Path to a Nature-Positive Economy

On 23 January 2025, Seneca Impact Advisors had the privilege of participating in an insightful webinar hosted by the Centre for a Smart Future, titled “Money Grows on Trees: Charting a Path to a Nature-Positive Economy.” This event brought together leading experts to discuss the integration of biodiversity into business and public policy, focusing on developing bankable nature-related projects.

The webinar, moderated by Arpana Giritharan, a visiting researcher at the Centre for a Smart Future, featured three distinguished speakers: Joshua Bishop, Lucy Emerton, and our very own Jean-Marc Champagne. The discussion revolved around actionable strategies for incorporating biodiversity, ecosystem services, and resilience into economic frameworks to enhance impact and investment.

Key Highlights:

Introduction and Opening Remarks:

  • Anushka Wijesinha, Co-Founder and Director of the Centre for a Smart Future, welcomed participants and introduced the Centre’s mission of promoting a just and green economic recovery for Sri Lanka.
  • Arpana Giritharan set the stage by outlining the webinar’s focus on integrating environmental values into the economy and decision-making processes.

Speaker Presentations:

  • Lucy Emerton provided an overview of market-based instruments for internalizing environmental values in economic and business decision-making. She emphasized the importance of moving from theoretical valuation to practical, policy-relevant applications.
  • Joshua Bishop discussed creating economic incentives and developing bankable projects that align with environmental conservation. He highlighted the challenges and opportunities in emerging economies like Sri Lanka and the role of public-private collaboration through blended finance mechanisms.
  • Jean-Marc Champagne shared insights on scaling commercially viable nature-positive projects and the importance of mobilizing private-sector capital for environmental protection and restoration. He also addressed the pitfalls and responsibilities in developing bankable projects.
From Top Left Clockwise: Lucy Emerton, JM Champagne, Arpana Giritharan, and Josh Bishop

Audience Q&A and Discussion:

  • Participants engaged with the speakers, asking questions about the practical implementation of nature-positive investments, the role of government and private sectors, and the skills needed to develop sound bankable projects.
  • The panelists discussed constraints in placing economic values on nature, moving from academic perspectives to practical applications, and the collaboration needed between scientists, economists, conservationists, and the government.
  • They also explored the risks and pitfalls for countries like Sri Lanka in creating economic incentives for nature and building a pipeline of bankable projects.

The webinar concluded with a summary of key takeaways and a call to action for integrating biodiversity into economic frameworks. Seneca Impact Advisors is committed to mobilizing private-sector capital for the protection and restoration of nature, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Centre for a Smart Future and other stakeholders to drive nature-positive economic growth.

Speaker Biographies:

  • Joshua Bishop: Environmental and natural resource economist with over 30 years of experience, currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney.
  • Lucy Emerton: Director of Economics and Finance at the Environment Management Group, with extensive experience in conservation finance and ecosystem valuation.
  • Jean-Marc Champagne: Principal and Managing Director of Seneca Impact Advisors, specializing in innovative financial solutions for nature-positive projects.
  • Arpana Giritharan: Visiting researcher at the Centre for a Smart Future, with a background in climate and environmental policy.

23 January 2025 | Centre for a Smart Future | Events – Participant