The Case for Alternative Uses of Rural Land.
| Date & Time: | June 21, 2023 8:30 am | Add to Calendar (.ics) |
| Venue: | Virtual Event |
There is growing demand for alternative uses for rural farmland for investments in renewable energy infrastructure; biodiversity net gain initiatives; and natural capital portfolios. Is this too far-fetched or can we make a business case?
Chair:
Munish Datta, Director, Director, Specsavers Group
Munish Datta is Director with Specsavers Group, leading the design and delivery of its global sustainable business strategy. He is a Senior Independent Advisor to BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management providing strategic insight for its pan European ESG investment platform. As a Fellow of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Fellow of University of Cambridge Judge Business School, Munish empowers business leaders from a variety of global companies to tackle critical challenges. He is a trustee of sustainable development charities, Bioregional and Rama Foundation and a governor of the Stephen Perse foundation of schools in Cambridge, UK. His previous roles include Director at UK Green Building Council and Head of Sustainability, Marks & Spencer.
Speakers:
Claudine Blamey, Group Director of Sustainability at Aviva Investors.
Claudine was previously the Director of Sustainability and Digital Strategy at Argent LLP for 3 years.
Claudine delivered the net zero carbon flights strategy at easyJet in her role as Director of Sustainability. Prior to this she set up the Group sustainability function at Sainsbury’s covering sustainable sourcing, operational waste and community activity as well as group charitable partnerships and overall development of group wide sustainability strategy and implementation.
Claudine was responsible for the sustainability strategy for The Crown Estate’s business. Claudine joined from SEGRO where she was Head of Sustainability. Prior to this she was Director of Corporate Responsibility at British Land where she was responsible for Group corporate responsibility policy, implementation and communication.
Before this Claudine was the Environment Manager at Honda (UK). Claudine is on the City Corporation Property Investment Board and was previously on the Board of Business in the Community (BITC) and the Mace Group Responsible Business Board and was Chair of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (ICRS) from 2015-2017. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).
Niki Rust, Head of of Nature, Ag & Land, UK Climate Change Committee
Dr Niki Rust, Head of Land, Agriculture and Nature at the Climate Change Committee, is an environmental sustainability leader, having worked on the interface between nature and climate for the last 15 years, both domestically and internationally. Prior to coming to the CCC, she worked on policy and analysis at Defra and the Food Standards Agency on UK and global land use issues. She also has a decade of experience in the environmental NGO sector and has also spent time in academia and think tanks working on the UN SDGs.
Dr Bruce Lascelles BSc (Hons), PhD, FISoilSci, MCIEEM, CEnv
Bruce is Director of Sustainable Land Management at Arcadis and Past President of the British Society of Soil Science. Bruce has a degree and PhD in Soil Science and following a period of undertaking research on various aspects of soils (particularly on soil erosion) became a consultant where he has worked on aspects of the inter-relationships between the physical environment and plant and animal communities (including the development of habitat creation and restoration techniques), the impact on soils and hydrology from land use change and on surveying and mapping soil and land use types across the UK.
This is a free event. Please can you register via this link: https://savills.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jbWM3gxLS0i6iaySiWwENw
