Women for the Environment breakfast, Melbourne 2023

Bush Heritage Australia invites you to join us for a thought-provoking networking breakfast, featuring inspiring female leaders providing their insights and guidance on nature-based risks and opportunities, with a focus on nature-related financial disclosures.

While climate change and net zero has been the headline act for some time, biodiversity and ecosystem health is rapidly taking centre stage. More than half of the world’s economic output is moderately or highly dependent on nature and there is growing recognition in the finance and business sector of the need to move beyond climate considerations and address nature-related concerns.

With nature-related financial disclosures now on the horizon, it’s imperative for business to act early, understand the complexities involved and take advantage of the many synergies between solutions to nature loss and the climate crisis.

Defining how companies can assess, prioritise, measure, address and track their impacts and dependencies on natural ecosystems is a significant step in the right direction for creating strong biodiversity.

OUR PANEL 

Estelle Parker, Executive Director, Responsible Investment Association Australasia 

Estelle leads RIAA’s research, certification, policy, standards and working group programs. She brings 20 years’ experience leading strategic initiatives as a diplomat, policy analyst, stakeholder manager and strategic planner with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Estelle also worked for five years at the University of Melbourne, where she lectured in the Master of Public Policy and Management and Master of International Relations, and has experience on boards and committees. She is currently a member of the Principles for Responsible Investment’s Global Policy Reference Group and the Australian Government’s Natural Capital Working Group, as well as Convenor of the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures official Consultation Group for Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Estelle has deep expertise in responsible, sustainable and ethical investment and ESG, including the Australian, Aotearoa NZ and global policy environment, product labelling, greenwashing in the finance sector and nature disclosures.

Elisa de Wit, Partner and Head of Climate Change and Sustainability, Norton Rose Fulbright

Elisa is an environment and planning, and climate change lawyer based in Melbourne. She leads the Australian climate change and sustainability practice and the firm's global carbon markets practice. Elisa has practised in the areas of environmental, planning and climate change law for over 30 years, including eight years of practice in the United Kingdom.

Elisa’s environmental experience includes advising on various environmental permitting regimes, including waste management, pollution control and discharge consents, representing clients in connection with environmental offences or breaches of environmental legislation and undertaking substantial due diligence exercises. She also has significant experience advising in relation to contaminated land, both in the context of property and corporate transactions and in relation to liability issues.

Elisa has a detailed understanding of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (NGERS), the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI), Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) [now rebadged as the Climate Solutions Fund], the Renewable Energy Target (RET) and the Safeguard Mechanism and has provided extensive advice to a wide range of clients on the obligations and opportunities which flow from NGERS, CFI, ERF and RET. During her time in the United Kingdom, Elisa advised various clients on the implementation and operation of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. Elisa's climate change practice also includes advising on climate risk, climate disclosure and climate change-related litigation.

Alexandra Gartmann, Chair, Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Council

Alexandra Gartmann is a passionate advocate and champion for rural and regional Australia, having grown up and grown her career in rural and regional Australia. Alex is Chair of the Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Council, a non-executive Director of Nufarm, the Deputy Chair of the Australian Wool Testing Authority, a Director of the Australian Farm Institute, a trustee of Helen Macpherson Smith Trust, and a Director of the One Basin CRC.

Alex’s earlier roles include CEO of Rural Bank and Executive at the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Group responsible for the Group’s Partnerships, Marketing, Corporate Affairs, ESG and Climate Risk; CEO of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, CEO of the Birchip Cropping Group (Wimmera Mallee region) and Community Landcare Coordinator in the wheatbelt of WA. She has worked in western China and Chile on rural development projects.

Her former non-executive roles include Chair of the CSIRO Agriculture and Food Advisory Council, a member of the Australian Landcare Council, Crawford Fund, Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership, Victorian Flood Disaster Appeal Panel, and the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee.

OUR HOST

Emily Rice

Emily Rice is an award-winning journalist and presenter with more than two decades at the cutting edge of Australian and international news and current affairs. Her presence and personable presentation style has been honed over more than 20-years of television presenting.

SPECIAL GUESTS

• Bambi Lees, Aboriginal Partnerships Manager, VIC, Bush Heritage Australia
  
• Christina Tonkin, Managing Director, Corporate Finance, ANZ Banking Group

TICKETS AND DONATIONS

Your ticket fee goes towards the conservation work of  Bush Heritage Australia. As a not for profit organisation, we rely greatly on donations from supporters. Please consider making a donation to Bush Heritage Australia. 

For event enquiries please email events@bushheritage.org.au

TICKET SALES CLOSE 10 NOVEMBER, UNLESS SOLD OUT PRIOR

Bush Heritage acknowledges the Wurundjeri Traditional Owners  Traditional Owners, upon whose land the event will take place. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

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