What does it look like when we put wellbeing at the centre of National economies? Recorded with the backdrop of the COP15 UN Biodiversity Convention, Matt sits down with two pioneers shaping the way Nations approach economic development. Michael Weatherhead, Development Lead at the Wellbeing Economy Alliance, and Gary Gillespie, Director and Chief Economic Adviser of the Scottish Government, share their experiences of navigating more inclusive policy and finance structures. From a Future Generations Bill to Natural Capital Accounts and Quality of Life Frameworks, we look at the innovative levers for positive change in national governance. A few links for further enquiry: https://www.weallscotland.org/ https://www.gov.scot/about/how-government-is-run/directorates/chief-economist-directorate/chief-economist/ https://weall.org/wego https://www.ted.com/speakers/nicola_sturgeon
Danish design culture meets multi-sector collaboration in Uruguay - How do Regions position themselves for new competitive and collaborative advantages Post-2020? In a conversation that connects Global South and Global North, Claire and Matt explore how Cities and Regions can share their impact superpowers for the sake of our Planet’s future. They’re joined by two very special guests: Julie Hjort, Program Director of Sustainable & Circular Transition at the Danish Design Centre (Copenhagen), and Mercedes Viola, Co-Founder & Director, 4D Lab (Montevideo). From childhood memories of Nature to everyday working life rituals and big bold ideas, this episode is an audio journey not to be missed. Links: 4D lab - https://4dlab.uy/en/ Inclusive Economy Festival - https://economiainclusiva.net/ Danish Design Centre - https://ddc.dk/projects/the-mission/
Research calls for decision-makers to embrace young peoples’ perspectives in shaping Victoria’s tourism future Building upon over three years of successful advocacy, the Young Tourism Network (YTN) has released its 2022 Workplaces Report. Designed to inform strategic decision-makers in Victorian tourism, events and hospitality, the research results are based on engagement with 141 people in Victoria’s visitor economy through an online survey, focus sessions, 1:1 meetings and desktop research. Supported by the Victorian Government’s Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, the work seeks to further the insights from the 2021 Young Voices in Tourism report which like this research, was delivered in partnership with B Corp-certified consultancy Regeneration Projects. Hope is growing, with 56% of young people indicating that they would recommend their peers start careers in the Victorian tourism, events & hospitality industry, but there is long way to go. “This is a call to decision-makers to hear what young people see as important for the future of the tourism industry. To unlock industry innovation, today’s leaders need to be genuine about empowering the leaders of tomorrow. What’s clear in the Workplaces report is that young people demand purpose beyond profit, meaningful career opportunities and to feel secure and represented throughout the industry – this report gives us practical steps on how.” Madeleine Sawyer, 2022 Chair of Young Tourism Network Listen in!
What business dependencies and impacts really are worth accounting and budgeting for post-2020? Can accountants even measure things like Natural Capital? It turns out that it’s not only possible, but the tools needed have been around for decades. Their recent use in both public and private settings is changing the game of how organisations see the value they bring into the world. In the fifth episode of the Market Conditions for Impact series, we’re joined by three amazing leaders from around the Planet - Rosimeiry Portela (Conservation International), Ian Dickie (Economics For The Environment Consultancy) and John Finisdore (Point Advisory, an ERM Company). This dynamic trio are like family and carefully guide us through a labyrinth of definitions and standards, as well as practical examples of governments and corporates leading the way. You might also be surprised to hear how their childhood experiences of Nature have informed where they are now. Here are a few of the resources discussed on today’s podcast: “Pitch for Nature”, a 2:23 video on why nature matters to business Natural Capital Protocol, an introductory guide to help corporations can generate value from natural capital, that Rosimeiry and Ian helped write Time to Take Stock, a technical guide to corporate natural capital accounting which Rosimeriy, Ian and John all helped produce BIS 8632: Natural Capital Accounting for Organisations, the British Standard for corporate natural capital accounting that Ian helped write Biological Diversity Protocol, a corporate natural capital accounting standard which John was a co-author of United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounting, the global standard for public sector accounting of nature, Rosimeiry sits on the SEEA EA Technical Committee
As the business community becomes increasingly aware of its relationship with people and the planet, we're seeing a big trend towards communication. Impact-led businesses want to tell their stakeholders what they are doing, and why it matters. This episode welcomes Grace O’Hara (Small Fires) and Erin Morris (Young Folks) to explore the role of storytelling and reporting in impact-led business. Erin and Grace share practical tips, tools and frameworks for quality communication that combines robust evidence with emotional connection. Learn more about Young Folks on LinkedIn or Instagram. Explore the stories Small Fires are helping bring to life over on their website or Instagram Check out the guidance and tools shared by Grace and Erin: Climate Active: https://www.climateactive.org.au/what-climate-active/how-it-works Storytelling canvas: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Storytelling-Canvas%3A-A-Visual-Framework-for-and-Kernbach/8fdf3013e394d5749f090dddc843cbfb774fd4dc Program logic: https://aifs.gov.au/resources/practice-guides/how-develop-program-logic-planning-and-evaluation
Recent years have seen a significant shift in the investment sector. Society is paying far more attention to where investors - like superannuation funds and banks - are putting their money, and we're seeing words like 'sustainable', 'ethical' 'responsible' and 'impact' being tacked onto investment terms. As a result, more and more investors are taking accountability for their positive and negative impacts on communities, cultures and our Earth. But will this create the step change we need for a regenerative economy, or are we just tinkering around the edges? Matt and Claire welcome two guests who are breaking new ground in the investment landscape. Alex Hannant (The Yunus Centre, Griffith University) and Jackson Rowland (Obama Scholars programme) join us for an unapologetically bold conversation that throws our pre-conceived ideas about investment right out the window. Links: More about Alex – here More about Jackson - here McKinsey report ‘The net-zero transiton’ - here Griffith University Yunus Centre ‘Design Foundations for Systems Capital’ - here
Picture systems thinking inside an Italian B Corp pharmaceutical company. Imagine te ao Māori (the Māori worldview) shaping businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand. Claire and Matt are joined by special guests Massimo Mercati (CEO at Aboca Italy) and Qiulae Wong (Aotearoa New Zealand Manager at B Lab AANZ) as we learn how organisational design and governance can influence a team’s capacity for impact. Let’s take another step into our Market Conditions for Impact series. About our guests Massimo Mercati was born in Città di Castello, Italy, in 1971. After graduating in law, he devoted himself to managing the family business, Aboca, where he is now CEO. He founded the Apoteca Natura pharmacy network and is president of the Municipal Pharmacies of Florence. He has published the book “The business as a living system” (Aboca Edizioni, 2020). He lives in Sansepolcro, Italy. More: https://abocaedizioni.it/autori/massimo-mercati/ Qiulae is the Aotearoa Manager for B Lab - the non-profit organisation which oversees B Corp certification. Certified B Corps are businesses that seek to benefit all stakeholders and hold themselves accountable to using business as a force for good. Qiulae's background is in impact measurement and systems change, and she has recently returned from the UK where she worked for similar industry bodies supporting businesses to align profit and purpose. In her role at B Lab she is working across the private and public sectors to make impact measurement and stakeholder governance the new norm. More: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qiulae/ Resources & Tools: B Impact Assessment - https://app.bimpactassessment.net/get-started NZ Living Standards framework - https://www.treasury.govt.nz/information-and-services/nz-economy/higher-living-standards/our-living-standards-framework Aboca Italy’s Impact Report - https://www.aboca.com/company/for-the-common-good/ The business as a living system, Massimo Mercati: Book Republic - https://www.bookrepublic.it/ebook/9788855230834-the-business-as-a-living-system-aboca/ Apple Books - https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-business-as-a-living-system/id1531079055 Encyclical letter Laudato Si’ of the Holy Father Francis on care for our Common Home - https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
One of the simplest building blocks of Australia and Aotearoa’s economies are exchanges of goods and services between organisations. You see it in your everyday life when you stand in the dairy aisle of your local grocer and you contemplate which cheese you’re going to buy. As the end beneficiary, you’re weighing up the pro’s and con’s using your own personal criteria … which could be anything: How much does it cost? Where was it made? How far has it travelled? Will my organics-loving partner approve? And of course, does it taste good?! But if you go upstream, someone within the grocer organisation has had to make a call about which blocks of cheese to source. Once again, the criteria by which they make that decision has a significant impact on the benefits to their stakeholders - customers, community, environment, workers and potentially shareholders. Sit back and relax because you’re in for a treat, as Jas Qadir (PhD- systems approaches, public investment and broader outcomes, and Principal Procurement Specialist at New Zealand Government Procurement) and Dr Seán Barnes walk us through the potential and power of procurement. Links: PhD- systems approaches, public investment and broader outcomes, Jas Qadir (https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/15233/TrichurKhabeerAbdulQ.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y) Professional Services Broader Outcomes Framework: Professional services broader outcomes | New Zealand Government Procurement and Property (https://www.procurement.govt.nz/contracts/consultancy-services/professional-services-broader-outcomes/) akina.org.nz/ regenprojects.earth/
Let’s face it, conversations about "economic systems change" can be heavy and inaccessible. Talking about the soil conditions of your home veggie patch however are much easier. Carrying excess kitchen resources into the compost and seeing those worms and bacteria go to town is so satisfying! The thing is that market conditions and soil aren’t so different. Groups of plants with shallow roots are going to be far less resilient in tough times … and the same goes for business communities. Flip that and if you get the market conditions right, whole new industries can start emerging and increase the diversity of your region’s current economy. So, here Claire and Matt are stepping into catalysing forces like procurement, governance, investment, budgeting and reporting … all of those contributing factors to a thriving economy that is delivering social, ecological and economic returns for its community. Roll up your sleeves, it’s time to explore Market Conditions for Impact. More info: regenprojects.earth/
Regenerative agriculture presents a major opportunity to achieve the "Fix our Climate" Earthshot. In the final episode of our Earthshot series, we welcome Clare Buchanan from Align Farms in Canterbury, Aotearoa New Zealand. Clare shares her experience with regenerative dairy farming, and how regenerative farming practices can contribute to a resilient, diverse and productive environment. From the carbon cycle, to soil, to energy use and nutrition, we explore the complex relationship between our food system, society, the economy and our environment. Learn more: https://alignfarms.co.nz/regenerative-study/ https://www.quorumsense.org.nz/ https://www.quorumsense.org.nz/case-studies/regenerative-winter-grazing-innovations https://sustainabledish.com/ https://www.landtomarket.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te6D3y3EyGg&ab_channel=QuorumSenseFarmerNetwork%2CNewZealand https://www.farmingsecrets.com/mentor/dr-christine-jones/ https://www.soilfoodweb.com/
What if we saw ourselves, our organisations and our work as part of Nature, not separate from it? What if Earth was our common business partner? Our mainstream approach to creating change stems from a worldview where we see ourselves as separate to Nature, separate to each other and separate to the problems which we are seeking to address. This episode spotlights the "Protect and Restore Nature" Earthshot by exploring how the business community can weave together Indigenous, Eastern and Western knowledge systems to contribute to a regenerative future. Hear from Nora Silva, a regenerative activist, who shares stories from her own personal and professional journey, including her involvement in the Fire Circle, an initiative run in collaboration with Regeneration Projects. In this conversation, we promote an understanding of how personal regeneration can lead to our planet's regeneration, and how business leaders can make a proactive step forward by participating in a short course called the Woven Way. Learn more: https://firecircle.earth/
Demand from governments and businesses are rapidly creating a global carbon market but the 'in the field' managers of this Natural Capital are getting left out of climate action plans and accounts. In this episode we spotlight the Earthshot of 'Clean Our Air' by exploring the diverse and evolving role of Rangers. These essential planetary health workers help to manage the ecosystem services upon which all life on Earth depends but they're currently a missing link in global policy and investment. Enter Sean Willmore and Tim Schneider from The Thin Green Line Foundation (TGLF) and two of the convening partners in the Ranger Roundtable. In this conversation, we'll explore how Regeneration Projects has helped convening partners (the International Ranger Federation, Universal Ranger Support Alliance and TGLF) to form critical communication and relationship bridges between the international Ranger Sector and global development organisations. Expect to learn how this is starting to open up new investment opportunities in nature-based solutions. Learn more: www.internationalrangers.org/events/
Imagine that instead of international business markets competing against each other, they’d exchange goods and services based on reciprocal triple-bottom-line benefits. We could redistribute value and expertise in a way that helps cities and communities to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals by drawing upon regenerative business practices. ‘Build a waste-free world’ is the focus of our second episode in the Earthshot Series. We use it as an entry point to explore the potential of International Impact Trade Regions, which is an initiative that Matt is developing alongside Argentinians Pedro Tarak (Co-Founder of Sistema B, and Wellbeing Economy Alliance Ambassador) and Rafael Kemelmajer (Director of Quinto Impacto). The trio organised a pilot International Impact Trade roundtable between Melbourne and Mendoza in October 2021 with over a dozen impact champions. In 2022, we’re now entering a new phase of collaboration and exploring how the Protected Denomination of Origin systems commonly used in food and wine can be adapted to impact trade. Listen to Matt and Pedro unpack the terrain! For more information contact: matt@regenprojects.earth
Imagine swimming in the Birrarung Yarra River, right in the middle of Melbourne. Sounds crazy right?! Our first episode in the Earthshot Series is focused on the Earthshot ‘Revive our Oceans’. We take the opportunity to spotlight Regeneration Projects’ research collaboration with Loretta Bellato, PhD candidate at Swinburne University’s Centre for Urban Transition. Matt and Loretta sit by the banks of the Birrarung, near Dights Falls, as they discuss the project’s significance for the city and what it might mean for swimmable cities around the world. More information: https://www.regen.melbourne/projects-content/beacon Learn more about the Earthshot Prize at earthshotprize.org Tile photo credit: Suzie McErvale
Launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in October 2020, The Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history. Each year, it is awarded to individuals and teams working on extraordinary eco-solutions that can repair and regenerate the planet. The Earthshot Prize is centred around five ‘Earthshots’ – simple but ambitious goals for our planet which if achieved by 2030 will improve life for us all, for generations to come. Our next five episodes of Voices of Regen will highlight and celebrate the Earthshot Prize by welcoming collaborators and guests from our networks who are contributing to each of the five Earthshots. Check out this short episode to learn more about the Prize, what it means to us, and what to expect from our special upcoming series on Voices of Regen. Learn more about the Earthshot Prize at earthshotprize.org
Regenerative business requires teams to unite around a common purpose, but getting clear on how to bring this purpose to work every day can prove challenging. In this episode, Matt and Claire are joined by Kusal Perera, Chief Collaborator of Strategy, Innovation & Brand at CoPlantation. With Kusal's guidance, we explore how finding the right language can help businesses to progress their regenerative journeys as a cohesive team. We dive into the concept of reciprocity, and explore how the business community can learn from cultural wisdom to regain the balance between business, the natural world, and one another. More info: coplantation.com
Do It Yourself Professional Development – online, on demand AND focused on regeneration In this podcast episode Claire interviews Matt on how Regen Projects' new Virtual Classroom came to be. They talk about the students and startups looking to kickstart their regen learning, as well as established organisations looking to boost team capability. In both situations, the DIY option presents an incredibly convenient entry point to an otherwise complex field. Tune in at your leisure! Enter the Virtual Classroom now: https://app.heymarvelous.com/regen-projects/
A space for unapologetically bold conversations the business of regeneration Neighbourhoods and regions around the world are in a state of recovery. Often, it’s artists and entrepreneurs who organise themselves first and help communities start a healing process, making sense of loss and change so that we can find a pathway forward. Such a process is well underway in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, where in the wake of the Black Summer bushfires and COVID-19, creatives are tackling big issues like climate change in unexpected ways. Listen for a wave of inspiration as artists and curator Lichen Kelp and social entrepreneur Andrea Lane share a flurry of projects in the making … Links: Float 3909, Lake Tyers Community Power Hub, Gippsland Social Enterprise Network, Gippsland Up The Creek, Melbourne & East Gippsland Seaweed Appreciation Society, Victoria Kayak Orchestra, Lake Tyers East Gippsland Winter Festival, Victoria School of Untourism, East Gippsland
Business as a force for good - What does B Corp certification mean for regenerative businesses? Regeneration Projects has recently been certified as a B Corp, so we put Matt in the interviewee seat to tell us all about it. Matt shares what B Corp certification means to Regen Projects, what the certification journey was like, and what he learned along the way. See what a B Impact score for a startup looks like - https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/regeneration-projects/ Interested in becoming a B Corp? Check out their website: bcorporation.net
What role can te reo Māori - the Māori language - play in regenerating Aotearoa New Zealand's cultural identity? In this episode of Voices of Regen, Claire and Matt are joined by Piripi Rangihaeata, a kaiako (teacher) and leader who is helping to revitalise te reo Māori. Keen to progress your organisation's te reo journey? Get in touch with Piripi: piripi@learningtereo.com