Conservation International CEO on making the case for nature in the boardroom

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, the new CEO of Conservation International explains how protecting and restoring nature is key to solving the challenge of climate change.

"Nature is actually our best ally to address climate change," Dr. Sebastian Troëng tells us at his first Climate Week NYC since being named CEO in February.

Conservation International is a nonprofit that partners with communities, governments and businesses to help protect and restore nature while improving human wellbeing. In the interview, Sebastian explains how companies can articulate the economic value of nature in a way that resonates with corporate decisionmakers.

"What boardrooms need to understand is if they want to continue to have a revenue flow in the future, they need to contribute to conserve that nature that allows them to have a business model," he says.

Sebastian outlines examples of where he's seen nature-based solutions scale effectively — and why he sees a big runway for further investment from the private sector. He also explains why constrained public budgets are creating a more conducive environment for collaboration.

"We're seeing a greater appetite for coming up with innovative ways of combining government support, private investment, philanthropy to collectively achieve greater impact," Sebastian says. "People realize that the challenges the planet is facing are too big for any one sector or any one organization to solve on their own."

As part of a multi-year philanthropic grants program the S&P Global Foundation launched in 2024, Conservation International is a Signature Grant Partner in the focus area of creating environmental resilience and will receive $2.5 million over five years.

We conducted this interview at The Nest Campus in New York City, where the All Things Sustainable is an official media partner. Listen to all our Climate Week NYC coverage:

As Climate Week NYC kicks off, energy, climate and national security converge

PRI interim CEO talks changing landscape for responsible investment

New York bank CEO talks affordability, AI and climate solutions at Climate Week NYC

Tech giant NVIDIA talks AI's sustainability risks and opportunities

Why JPMorgan is looking at climate, energy and food system risks through a resilience lens

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