European Centre for Art, Culture and Science

Tuesday November 16 2010 / Citizenship

Innovation for Biodiversity

The ecological movement has known it for a long time. The world of industry and commerce is becoming more and more convinced. We are faced with a shortage of raw materials that threatens the very future of industry. The loss of biodiversity is no longer a luxury problem. The most recent report of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) put all the figures bluntly right in front of us again: protection alone is important but by no means enough. A different view of the economy and enterprise is of vital importance. It is up to the world of industry to make the next move.

In this third debate in the series Choose or Lose, Taskforce lets itself and the public draw inspiration from sustainable Willie Wortels to show by means of positive and specific examples how innovations in production processes and chains can contribute to biodiversity. Entrepreneurs who look at the world through different spectacles. Entrepreneurs - in the widest sense of the word - who draw inspiration from nature and develop intelligent sustainable products. And financial gurus who know what money is worth and what that can produce, including - and especially - for a green economy and the preservation of biodiversity.

With René Wijffels (WUR, AlgaePARC), Jan Zuidam (DSM, Taskforce member) and Louise Vet (Director NIOO-KNAW, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology) and Herman Mulder (former Director-General and Head of Group Risk Management ABN AMRO Bank, initiator of the Equator Principles and independent advisor and boardmember). We put together limiting conditions and actions that are needed to speed up this trend and to achieve a green economy. Moderator: Ruben Maes.

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