Sustain our planet: Sustained Impact, Return on Environment, Environmental Impact Continuum & MRV (M&E)

Sustain our planet: Sustained Impact, Return on Environment, Environmental Impact Continuum & MRV (M&E)

I’ve been focusing on sustainability and reframing impact from the perspective of nature, thanks to lessons about the earth’s carrying capacity and tipping points being breached. I’ve learned about this thanks to my environmental colleague Margaret Spearman and others like Scientists Rebellion. I have also learned more while managing our 150-year old family forest (Lesy Cekanova) which I have been diversifying, naturally regenerating, and trying desperately to fell as little of as possible so more trees could provide the ‘ecosystem services’/ return on environment (ROEn) as possible to us all (more on Ecosystem Services, which is “any benefit that humans get from nature” (EU). Why? Because I know our 540ha (1335acre) forest is under threat, as are the rest of our planet’s 12 million species including humanity.

 

The EU writes, “Ecosystems services offer benefits such as the pollination of crops, clean air, a reduction in extreme weather, human mental and physical well-being, wood for construction, fossil fuels, fresh water, tourism, science, education, recycling, fertilizer, carbon capture, outdoor sports, lakes, flood protection, hydroelectric power, and decomposition of wastes. It’s hard to put a value on every way that rocks, forests, beaches, woods, plants and animals help our lives. But we can put an economic value on the combined benefits of the world’s ecosystems.”

 

 

Also, as a Buddhist, I know that we humans Are nature, indivisibly connected. So harming nature harms us.

 

What are ways in which we are investing in retaining nature? The ideals are investing in the oceans, but on land, carbon credits voluntary markets mostly focus on forests (selling the ability of trees to absorb our CO2). But while they are great additions to vitally needed decreasing emissions or sequestering carbon, industry claims that these offsets support planetary sustainability need checking. A new Oxford Uni/U of Pa study showing Carbon offsets have failed:  “These junk offsets—the ones not backed by permanent carbon removal and storage—are a dangerous distraction from the real solution to climate change, which is rapid and sustained emission reductions” and they recommend that the Oxford Offsetting Principles, which “encourage companies to reduce emissions first and foremost, and to transition to durable, carbon removal offsetting for residual emissions.” Yes, AND that’s what we evaluators are for: MRV, which is monitoring, reporting and verification! I answered on Linkedin today “When there is not good faith participation with the landowners not planting monocultures and locals not cutting down what grows, it is inevitable. There needs to be robust MRV. And transparency. As a forest owner, I am looking into selling carbon credits and if we get income from it, it means we can finally stop seeing trees’ only value as cash and wood once they are felled. I’m a huge fan of carbon credits because it will decrease the amount we need to cut while still caring for our forest sustainably by giving us money to invest in a more diverse forest which serves a wide range of ecosystem services needs. A mindshift needs to happen to include – even prioritize – what nature gets from our investments, given how we’ve ravaged it.

 

As the Planetary Health Check 2025 report states, we are in trouble, breaching 7 of the 9 planetary boundaries.

 

 

Yet “the solutions are just as important as the diagnostics of the state of the planet. It is encouraging that a growing number of actors around the world are beginning to put the boundaries into action. From national biodiversity strategies to companies setting sciences-based targets – the boundary framework can inform real-world decisions,” said Norström.

 

So, join us to discuss how to implement real sustained impact measures, Return on Environment and Environmental Continuum! You could see the talk I gave in Oslo (short version of the keynote here) or join us for an expanded version and discussion with investors on 20 October with Margaret at the Global Rethinking Finance Collaborative (GFRC Futures Fair Overview and registration & Agenda). Also, there are nearly 50 amazing “Investable Initiatives and Catalytic Enablers” pitching to investors via GRFC – Building Better Bridges ranging from agriculture & forestry, desalinization, nature restoration & ILM, solar, distributed carbon-negative manufacturing, architecture, affordable housing, waste management & wealth care etc in Africa and Asia! Come along!