The Lord Mayor's Sustainability & Biodiversity Conference

The Lord Mayor’s Sustainability and Biodiversity Conference

September 25th 2024 at The Mansion House, London EC4N 8BH

The Lord Mayor's Sustainability and Biodiversity Conference - an engaging and insightful event dedicated to addressing the critical issues of sustainability, climate change, nature, and finance. 

This event will highlight the City of London's ambitious efforts to lead the global transition to a green economy, as we work to solidify our position as the world's Green Finance capital.

In the heart of London, the City is pioneering a transformative agenda that integrates sustainability into the financial services sector. With initiatives focused on green finance, climate resilience, and biodiversity enhancement, London is setting the standard for urban sustainability on a global scale.

This conference will bring together key stakeholders—nature and biodiversity specialists, institutional investors, financiers, and thought leaders—who are instrumental in shaping the future of green finance.

Attendees will have the unique opportunity to collaborate, share insights, and explore innovative solutions that drive sustainable growth and protect our planet; including supporting a project led by ZSL that is part of a greater vision to restore the Thames.

By participating, you will be at the forefront of a movement that not only enhances London's economic resilience but also ensures a sustainable future for generations to come.

Thames Seagrass Restoration Project

Within the conference, we are launching a fundraiser for a Thames Restoration project implemented by ZSL, championed by The Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Professor, Michael Mainelli.

This project is part of a much wider programme which focuses on much-needed restoration across the Thames.

You might be thinking

Why Seagrass?

Did you know that over 30 times more animals live within seagrass compared to habitats close by which are just sandy?

Seagrass meadows are vital for maintaining ocean health and serve as habitats for diverse marine life, including shellfish, seahorses, manatees, and sea turtles. These meadows help purify our oceans, stabilise coastlines, produce oxygen, support biodiversity, and capture carbon from the atmosphere.

The loss of seagrass leads to the disappearance of these crucial benefits for both people and the planet.

Some estimates in the UK claim that we’ve lost up to 90% of our seagrass, meaning our ecosystems are severely degraded - some of the worst environmental degradation in the world. (1)

The small discreet project we are supporting is scoped to be restored in a specific area, and the £25,000 we are aiming to raise will go directly towards collecting and planting seeds as well as ongoing scientific monitoring and reporting.

Rotary Club of London is also looking into championing this project in the wider community and encouraging local businesses, schools, and communities to look closer to home when it comes to biodiversity restoration.

For more details about the project and its wider scope, see The Zoological Society of London's page on it here.

Conference Programme

09:30: Event Open Judith Diment MBE – Rotary International Representative to the Commonwealth Opening remarks & Moderator

Candy Liu - President @ Rotary Club of London Candy will talk about RCL and how they are driving this project, touching on how community engagement can lead to real change. Ian Balcombe - Chair @ Rotary Club of London Charitable Trust & Project Chair Discussing how the project came to be, and driving it forward as the project chair. Himanshu Jain - Rotary in London District Governor Sustainability across the district and supporting transformation across London.

10:30 - 10:45: Comfort Break & Networking 10:45 - 10:55: Speaker Kelda Hudson - Technical Advisor (Ecology) @ Port of London Authority Kelda Hudson will explore the vital role of the Port of London Authority (PLA) in managing and protecting the biodiversity of the Tidal Thames. The presentation will highlight the PLA’s responsibilities, challenges, and initiatives in balancing commercial activity with ecological stewardship. Heidi Prislan - The Blue Charter Advisor @ The Commonwealth Heidi will provide insights into Commonwealth perspectives on ocean conservation, with a focus on the Blue Charter and its initiatives. The talk will also explore the financing of ocean protection and introduce the Ocean Funder Database as a key resource. 10:55 - 11:55: Panel Discussion (with 15 minutes Q&A) Financing Biodiversity Panel Discussion: Who can pay for Nature? This discussion will explore several different perspectives, the perspective of corporates being represented by Samuel Sinclair, Co-Founder and Director at Biodiversify which is a nature strategy consultancy working with some incredibly large businesses, such as Tetra Pak and Primark. Phoebe Tucker from the Green Finance Institute will then follow up by discussing the perspective of farmers and nature developers, as well as representing some institutional investors. The discussion will be moderated by Rob Sisson, who runs a nature-focused investment firm, supporting large-scale funding of nature-based solutions.

James Lawson - Co-Founder & Managing Partner @ Tribe Impact Capital Samuel Sinclair - Founder @ Biodiversify Phoebe Tucker - Nature Associate @ Green Finance Institute David Donnelly - Senior Adviser Finance for NbS @ WWF 11:55: Closing Remarks 12:30 Event Close

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