UN Global Compact Network Australia Brisbane Networking Evening | Embracing Biodiversity: The next challenge for businesses

The conservation of biodiversity is a critical pillar of sustainable development, however biological systems are under threat as a result of human activity. As well as putting people’s health and our ecosystems at risk, a deteriorating environment also poses a significant material risk for investors.

Around $44 trillion of economic value – over 50% of GDP globally – is dependent on nature or nature-related services, and biodiversity remains an emerging issue for Australian businesses and providers of capital who are grappling with how to account for, manage and address nature-related risks.

How can Australian businesses and investors manage impacts on nature and deliver positive outcomes for biodiversity and ecosystems?

Join the UN Global Compact Network Australia at this networking evening in Sydney to discuss the concept of biodiversity in the context of enterprise value and learn how businesses and investors can consider their nature-related impacts.

This event will provide an opportunity to network with like-minded organisations as well as connect with the UN Global Compact Network Australia team.

Speakers Include:

• Steve Ford, Head of Sustainability, The GPT Group

Armed with knowledge from working for over a decade in scientific organisations, Steve shifted to the property sector where he has spent most of the last two decades working to improve environmental and social sustainability outcomes. He has been instrumental in establishing a number of industry tools and pathways including NABERS Waste and resource circularity reporting standards, biodiversity performance assessment processes and carbon neutral certification pathways. His current focus is delivering driving GPT’s vision of carbon neutral now and nature positive next and addressing the dual challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

• Dr David Dique, Partner, ERM

David is a Brisbane based Partner from ERM that has held state government and private consultancy roles throughout his career. David has extensive experience in Queensland’s resources, renewable energy and infrastructure sectors, having provided approvals leadership and technical support for Governments and a number of Tier 1 and 2 mining, renewables, and oil and gas clients. David’s experience includes leading approvals, EA amendments, preparing environmental management plans, monitoring and compliance during construction and delivering operational support aligned with project approval conditions. David is currently a DCCEEW approved Principal Ecologist.

From an academic and research background, David has a detailed understanding of principles that underpin biodiversity research, survey and assessment, management, monitoring, rehabilitation and offsetting. This, coupled with experience in biodiversity conservation planning and policy development from state government, has enabled David to provide high-level strategic approvals advice for major projects in the resources, renewables and infrastructure sectors.

• Anna Marsden, Managing Director, Great Barrier Reef Foundation

As Managing Director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) since 2016, Anna has charted the development of a refreshed portfolio of Reef programs and steered the lead charity for the Great Barrier Reef to achieve record fundraising growth, bringing together corporate and private philanthropy with governments and science.

Anna has worked in leadership roles across the not for profit and creative industries for almost two decades. She was CEO of Queensland Ballet leading a major change program that achieved enormous growth. Her previous roles included General Manager – Creative for corporate communications agency Rowland, Development Director of the Queensland Art Gallery and GoMA, and General Manager at the Institute of Modern Art. She has also held board positions with the Brisbane Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse and Circa. Anna was awarded the Australian Institute of Management’s Not for Profit Manager of the Year (2013), a Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship (2003) and Young Arts Manager of the Year (2001).

Anna is a member of The Prince’s Charities International Sustainability Unit Advisory Group on Coral Reefs and the GBRF representative on the International Coral Reef Initiative. She sits on the GBRF’s International Scientific Advisory Committee and the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program executive committee.

• Murray Saylor, Managing Director, Tagai Management Consultants

Murray, Founder and Managing Director of TMC, has extensive experience in procurement. supply chain management. business strategy and community development. and is recognised as one of Australia's leading Indigenous procurement advisors. Murray is a proud Samsep man from Erub (Darnley Island) in the Torres Strait. Murray's passion and drive are focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural , ecological and economic sustainability. Murray has over 20 years of diverse experience in the fields of Government, Defence, Indigenous affairs and Resource sectors.

Murray is the Managing Director of Tagai Management Consultants, a company driven to work respectfully with clients in the Australia and Asia/Pacific region to deliver market leading procurement/supply chain management. business advisory and stakeholder engagement services. In 2019, Tagai Management Consultants were presented with the Innovation in Business award by the Ipswich Business Chamber, and in 2018 was selected as one of 100 faces of Small Business in Queensland.

• Anna Stewart (Facilitator) , Head of Sustainability Governance & Engagement, Coles Group, and Director, UN Global Compact Network Australia
  

Anna has more than 13 years’ experience in corporate sustainability roles in ASX listed companies, and brings deep experience in ESG reporting frameworks and stakeholder engagement. She was recently appointed to the role of Head of Sustainability Reporting and Engagement at Coles and will commence on 9 May.

Anna spent eight years at ANZ and, until April 2022, was the Head of ESG Governance and Reporting, responsible for the bank’s external ESG disclosures (including the annual ESG Supplement), responding to external ESG assessments and supporting the bank’s key ESG governance bodies – the Board Ethics and ESG Committee and the executive Ethics and Responsible Business Committee.

Prior to joining ANZ Anna spent almost ten years at AGL, primarily in the regulatory affairs team where she focused on energy and climate policy, before moving into sustainability reporting and community investment.

 We look forward to seeing you there.