Nature First and Resilient Cities Summit

ABOUT

Humanity has extracted the best that nature can provide. Now it’s time to brace for the consequences. We need to fortify our infrastructure, minimise carbon and repair nature. We need to make our cities and people resilient for the challenges ahead and seize the opportunities that will surprise.

So how are we doing?

This summit brings you face to face with some of the most knowledgeable and engaged subject matter experts in the country

You’ll have a chance to learn, engage in generous QandA sessions and contribute to the conversation.

Together we’ll tackle three key themes that help us understand the mega trends, the challenges to our economy, social and natural environment and how we can adapt and thrive.

WHO NEEDS TO BE THERE

This event is for anyone working in the sustainability and climate field who needs to understand the challenges of what’s coming over the horizon – for business, government, policymakers, and communities.

• Sustainability professionals, corporate advisers

• Investors, financier, developers

• urban planners, architects, designers, engineers, builders

• Policymakers, local, state and federal government

• Community leaders

SESSION THEMES

Session 1: The megatrends – Why they matter

Risk is all around and complex – it’s not just climate and nature that threaten our comfort; there’s geopolitical ructions and economic fallout that affect voters – will the voters support climate action? What’s their mood and likely voting patterns?

• Cheryl Durrant, Executive Member, Australian Security Leaders Climate Group

• Luke Heilbuth, CEO, BDW Strategic

• Mike Rann, Chairman, The Climate Group (ex South Australian Premier)

• Parnell Palme McGuinness, Insights & Advocacy Strategist, Palme Public

Session 2: The cost of action/inaction

Investment’s blue sky is green – what’s the appetite from the capital markets and non-institutional investors for resilience/adaptation investment; nature accounting; shifting consumer preferences; strategic communications

What happens to real estate – residential and commercial?

• Karl Mallon, Chief Executive Officer, The Climate Risk Group

• Nathan Robertson-Ball, Finding Nature

Session 3: Solutions

Indigenous people know how this country works. We need to understand the essential templates for Country and work with them for cities and regional centres; we need to build on strong communities and infrastructure and urban cooling strategies that are essential to health and wellbeing.

Housing, commercial buildings and materials have enormous opportunities to use nature to find solutions.

Hypothetical: Imagine it’s 2050 and we created a resilient home – how did we do it? Did we use those radical solutions we heard about in the Nature First and Resilient Cities event in 2026?

• Judith Bruinsma, Director – Projects and Governance, Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils

• Jua Cilliers, Head of School – Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney

• Melinda Dewsnap, Chief Resilience Officer, Resilient Sydney

• Rory Linehan, Director of Infrastructure Policy Advancement – ANZ, Bentley Systems

• Alison Page, Director – Indigenous Institute for Designing with Country, University of Technology Sydney

• Caroline Pidcock

• Sebastian Pfautsch, Professor in Urban Management and Planning, Western Sydney University

• Amanda Sturgeon, Chief Executive Officer, Biomimicry Institute

To keep up to date, see the full website.