Global Commons Alliance

?? In our latest newsletter,?we reflect that even in times of great division and upheaval, it's still possible to find common ground and unite for change. The Global Commons Alliance and partners joined entrepreneurs, investors, lawyers, scientists and civil society leaders from around the world at The Villars Institute Summit 2025 last week, to spur action for something many of us can agree on: systems change for a Safe and Just future. Read about what happened at the Summit, and get more news from across the Alliance. ?? Subscribe now on: ?? Linkedin https://lnkd.in/eUS-Ftv6 ?? Email https://lnkd.in/d6FcU5f #SystemsChange | #SafeAndJust | #GlobalCommons

?? Just back from an inspiring few days at the 2025 Villars Summit hosted by @The Villars Institute — and what a powerful reminder it was of the momentum building behind systems change for a nature-positive, climate-safe future. In today’s fragmented world, it was deeply energising to be among such a diverse, committed group of global stakeholders — all working toward shared solutions. ???? What stood out? ? The presence of tech innovators, entrepreneurs, and VCs alongside familiar NGO and research names — a crucial signal that multi-sector collaboration is gaining real traction. ?? The fearless curiosity of a table of 17-year-old students, asking all the right questions: “But how is this actionable?” Their clarity cut through—and reminded us what real accountability looks like. ?? Funders leaning in actively—not just writing checks but diving deep into content, collaboration, and co-creating solutions. The Summit underscored how essential it is to build and resource a well-functioning ecosystem of organisations, companies, policymakers, and communities—one where roles are clear, collaboration is authentic, and impact is collective. One highlight for me: the keynote by Dr Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief of Nature, who beautifully laid out what an effective ecosystem for nature action looks like. Her words reaffirmed the vital role of collaboration — and why the GCA Accountability Accelerator exists: to identify where alignment is needed, and help fund it into being. ???? I left Villars with renewed energy, optimism, and urgency— and a deep sense that we are part of a growing, vibrant movement driving the nature-positive transition forward. ?? Read Global Commons Alliance’s summary of the Villars Summit here: https://lnkd.in/eHH68DTE Great conversations with: Natasha Milan Matic, Ph.D., Margarita Astralaga, Mark Gough, Eva Zabey, Johan Rockstr?m, Naoko Ishii, Sweta Chakraborty, PhD, Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, Dominic Waughray, Caroline Bryant-Bosa, Dan Cao, Chase Jaz, Rachel Jetel, Wendy Broadgate, Patrick Frick, Thijs Biersteker, Natalia Greene, Richard Scobey, Mark Halle, Martin Harper, Jean Oelwang, Dr. Sonja Stuchtey, Tony Goldner, Karen E. Wilson, Tom Crompton, Emma Benameur, MBA, Lee Howell and many more! #GlobalCommons #EarthSystemBoundaries #SafeAndJust #NaturePositive #SystemsChange #Collaboration #VillarsSummit2025

Join us at #WritingClimate on March 26 at 7:00 pm in D.C. for an inspiring keynote conversation with President of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, Kumi Naidoo, moderated by CRI’s Executive Director, Brad Adams. We’ll explore bold strategies and impactful solutions for our planet’s future. Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and fuel your climate advocacy! Register here: https://lnkd.in/gJwchfnK

?? We joined entrepreneurs, investors, lawyers, scientists and civil society leaders from around the world at The Villars Institute Summit in Switzerland last week, to unite behind systems change for a Safe and Just future. Read our summary ?? The third annual?Villars Summit?to address the climate and nature crisis took place the same week South Korea battled wildfires and flash floods hit Spain. There’s no escaping the impacts of an unstable global commons. But as the GCA Earth Commission’s?#SafeAndJust science tells us, if economic systems, resource management and technologies are dramatically transformed, the planet can gain stability. This bold ambition was threaded throughout the Summit, with leaders across sectors converging on the need for urgent systems change to safeguard the #GlobalCommons we all depend on. ?? We hosted an accelerator workshop with the support of the Villars Institute, moderated by Nik Gowing, Thinking the Unthinkable, on how to build momentum for #SystemsChange. Supporting the summary of workshop conclusions by Jane Madgwick, participants agreed: ??? Earth system science messaging must get “louder” and more frequent to be heard.? ?? Applying a risk and resilience lens, we need to emphasise the power of nature to enable human security, health and economic stability. ?? Our entire community must unite, since the speed and scale of transformations needed are like nothing we have tackled before.? ?? Sectors must work together more cohesively, so legal and governance mechanisms mesh with influencer and activist networks.?It’s not just a question of finance. We have to drop our egos, get organized and connect to bring about change.? ?? Read our full summary: https://lnkd.in/eHH68DTE Including: Johan Rockstr?m, David Obura, Margarita Astralaga, Wendy Broadgate, Rachel Jetel, Thijs Biersteker, Earth Public Information Collaborative, Rhett Ayers Butler Mongabay, Dr. Jemilah Mahmood Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sweta Chakraborty, PhD We Don't Have Time,?Jean Oelwang Planetary Guardians, Natalia Greene Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN), Maja Groff, Anja Olin Pape Global Challenges Foundation, Sebastian Schienle, Luc Bas Cerac - Climate Risk Assessment Center, Randall Krantz, GCA Accountability Accelerator, Erin Billman?Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) Gary Baker, CFA, Alain Vidal Quantis, Natasha Milan Matic, Ph.D. (continued in comments.)

???? Want to learn how to track 70+ critical shifts needed to protect both people and planet? Join us on March 27 for a webinar on the GCA #SystemsChangeLab platform to explore its latest systems change data.?? Systems Change Lab aims to spur action at the pace and scale needed for a #SafeAndJust future.?Through its data platform its tracks global progress for 70+ transformational shifts?across nearly every system, such as energy and transport, enabling users to compare current action against targets we need to reach by the end of this critical decade. ???? During the webinar, the Systems Change Lab team will highlight the latest updates to the data platform, including its latest redesigned pages. This overview will be followed by a comprehensive demonstration of how to use the platform to find data, research and analysis about #SystemsChange. Speakers include: ??Rachel Jetel, Co-Director, Systems Change Lab ??Cathline Nagel, Senior Product Manager, Systems Change Lab ??Tappan Parker, Outreach and Engagement Manager, Systems Change Lab ??Irene Berman-Vaporis, Head of Communications, Systems Change Lab ?? Join us on March 27 at 3pm CET / 10am EDT ?? Register now: https://lnkd.in/e3YG9F_3 #SystemsThinking #GlobalCommons #Webinar

?? Last week at the The Villars Institute began with Jane Madgwick bringing together the Global Commons Alliance for candid discussions. Following Davos, many of us needed a clear stocktake on where we stood on our shared mission of ensuring a hospitable planet for current and future generations. The general consensus was that while the science was clear on global tipping points to runaway climate change, our science failure was ultimately a failure in communication. The need to reach the public and our elected representatives has never been more critical. ?? My session, moderated by Tim Kelly, explored approaches to overcome misinformation to shift public opinion and featured Rhett Ayers Butler and Dr. Jemilah Mahmood. The session was beautifully illustrated by Giulia Vicci, who also captured much of the Villars Summit, which brought together the world's leading experts in nature and climate alongside the philanthropists and impact investors. The aim is that together, real, evidence-based change could accelerate. ?? I left Villars truly hopeful. There are powerful collaborations that are underway. ?? Thanks also to my additional panelists J. Carl Ganter, Thomas Krampton and moderator Angela McCarthy on a final summit discussion on the power of narratives and storytelling. ?? Thanks to the Villars team for making the magic happen, and to Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief in Nature, for being a relentless champion for nature ?? Lee Howell Emma Benameur, MBA

Last week I had the great privilege of representing #IAIA in attending the outstandingly well-organized The Villars Institute Summit, high up in the Swiss Alps.?In the face of rapidly shifting political agendas, it provided a timely stock-take on a range of critical sustainability topics, catalyzed by excellent, informed discussions with a highly engaged and committed crowd. (huge kudos to Villars Institute for its genuine commitment to inter-generational participation). Some misc. take-aways: What I found encouraging was a recognition that no matter how detailed or compelling the scientific evidence, ineffective communication can still nullify any prospect for landing messages and delivering real change. Hence, a focus on framing, storytelling (think emotions, not facts ...) and understanding audiences in an atomized media landscape . While technology is helping us to see (and understand) our natural world in ever greater detail, successful change still involves outcomes at very localized levels, as demonstrated in many of the projects presented. Irrespective of international governance frameworks, the inter-connectivity between climate and nature, and between land and oceans is abundantly clear (Earth really is a blue planet), and hence a critical need for nexus thinking (a big term for considering overlapping systems of water, energy, food, health, finance ….). Impact assessment has a big part to play in all of this. All of this meant that a two day, pre-summit workshop hosted by the Global Commons Alliance was perfectly pitched in examining how to build momentum for systems change. My sincere thanks to Jane Madgwick and the entire GCA team for the invitation, for the excellent discussions and, looking ahead, for the opportunity to collaborate on bridging that gap between science and action. ???

? Tomorrow join the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) as it launches its first ocean science-based targets for the seafood sector! Register now ?? Last week, the SBTN launched the first-ever ocean #ScienceBasedTargets, starting with seafood. This milestone completes SBTN’s initial suite of science-based targets for nature – providing companies with a clear framework for environmental action across freshwater, land, and now ocean. ?? By setting targets and taking resulting action, companies can help support healthy, resilient marine and coastal ecosystems. These ocean targets complement the existing freshwater and land science-based targets, enabling companies to use #SBTN’s methodology across diverse supply chains and geographies, from ridge to reef. ?? Tune in on March 25 at 10-11am ET / 4-5pm CET for: ?? A first look at the technical guidance ?? Next steps companies can take ? Q&A Register now: https://lnkd.in/e3ZzFAq2

I'm in the mountains of Switzerland at The Villars Institute. 300 global climate NGOs and institutions are deep in discussion on how to handle a host of new negatives threatening them all. The mood? Urgent. ? One senior figure put it bluntly: "We are in an exponential horse race with sources of evil. And we are losing." Many companies are continuing their planning to be green for a host of reasons. But silently. One delegate described the new reality as ‘Green hushing on steroids’. They fear backlash, so they’re staying quiet.?‘Continue to be courageous but not provocative’ was the advice. But overall it’s realised that silence won’t solve the crisis. ? The Global Commons Alliance debated how to build momentum for systems change. Among conclusions: connecting?climate and nature to peace and security. The call to action? Rethink the narrative. Mobilize leaders. Throw out the rule book. Move fast. ? #ClimateCrisis #Leadership #Sustainability #GreenHushing #ActNow