In this Smart Forests Radio episode, we invite Arthur Eijs, a policy advisor on Natural Resources at the Ministry for Infrastructure & Water Management in the Netherlands. Formerly, he oversaw strategy, pilot projects, and economic incentives on biodiversity at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, and served as a member of the Dutch CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) delegation.

During the interview, conducted in June 2023, Arthur delves into a biodiversity project he initiated about Verified Conservation Areas, or the VCA platform. This digital infrastructure aimed to transparently verify biodiversity restoration and conservation efforts, enabling both larger companies and local grassroots initiatives to declare their contributions. Arthur elaborates on his ideas behind this initiative and the challenges encountered in securing funding. He also shares fascinating insights into the background of European funding strategies for biodiversity and the issues arising from the multitude of emerging digital platforms and stakeholders. Although the VCA platform is currently discontinued, information about the projects involved can be found via the website of the Convention on Biological Diversity on their new Nature Commitments Platform.

Interviewer: Michelle Westerlaken

Producer: Harry Murdoch

Language note: This interview takes place in Dutch.

Image: Nature Commitments, https://naturecommitments.org/