The SwissFoundations Environment and Sustainability Working Group is pleased to announce its next session that will be dedicated to forest issues. The in-person meeting will take place in Bern (Punkt.Null, Maulbeerstrasse 10, 3011 Bern) on the 29th of March, from 10 am to 4:30 pm.

We will be starting our systemic journey asking ourselves “can forests save us from polycrisis?” and Ian Brettell, Biodiversity Policy Officer at the ETHZ Crowther Lab, will guide us through the complex impacts of forest ecosystems on climate and biodiversity global challenges.

Our second thematic block will address the impacts of the bioeconomy approach on forests and Tin Fischer, freelance journalist for Die Zeit, co-author of the groundbreaking inquiry “Phantom Offsets and Carbon Deceit” will warn us against the risks of green assets and financialisation of nature.

Our third perspective will focus on how we can define and support an inclusive stewardship of forests and Claude Garcia, ecologist at CIRAD and ETHZ, will share the outcomes of 20 years of research on participatory management of forests and collective decision making processes.

Climate and biodiversity, economy and financialisation, governance and participation: we hope our 360° Dialogues approach will allow our philanthropy community to deepen a common understanding, to avoid programmatic silos and identify for each of the three dimensions key questions, (false) solutions and collaborative strategic options. Most importantly, colleagues from the group will share their reflections and highlight programmes, partnerships or calls: throughout the day, we’ll be hearing from FPH, Velux, Laudes, Audemars-Watkins, Mava, Cartier for Nature, Anyama…

Registration is open to all SwissFoundations members through the form, before Tuesday 21 March. Please note that places are limited and the event will be in English.

Organizing Committee : Claudia Neubauer (Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer pour le Progrès de l’Homme), Kirstin Kopp (Velux Stiftung CH), Julien Semelin (Cartier for Nature), Ezra Ricci (Fondation Audemars-Watkins)

Working Group co-leaders : Josephine von Mitschke-Collande (Mercator Stiftung CH) and Nicolas Krausz (Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer pour le Progrès de l’Homme)

** REGISTRATIONS ARE CLOSED **