Protecting and enhancing nature and biodiversity panel

Join us for a panel discussion with Giles Atkinson, Marisa Drew, and Nicola Ranger

There is a disconnect between nature’s fundamental role in economic prosperity, financial stability and social wellbeing, and its systematic exclusion from policy, finance and investment decisions. This disconnect helps drive biodiversity loss, economic vulnerability and systemic risk, problems compounded by weak data, misaligned incentives and limited evidence on what delivers durable, nature‑positive outcomes in the real economy. What are the implications of reframing nature as a core economic asset – and the loss of nature as a major source of risk? Where are the most important levers to address this gap? How can we best restore and enhance nature, where damage has already been done?

Meet our speakers and chair

Giles Atkinson is Acting Director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and Professor of Environmental Policy in LSE’s Department of Geography & Environment. His specialist expertise is: sustainability economics, natural and capital and the economics of nature policy. He is co-Lead of the theme on “Protecting and Enhancing Nature and Biodiversity” within LSE’s Global School of Sustainability. Giles has been a member of the UK Natural Capital Committee, the Policy and Technical Experts Committee for the World Bank’s initiative on Wealth Accounting and the Value of Ecosystem Services (WAVES) and the Advisory Board for the EU/ G8+5 review on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB).

Marisa Drew is the inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer for Standard Chartered Bank. Previously, during her nearly 40 year career, Marisa worked at several global banks including Merrill Lynch in leveraged finance and Credit Suisse in investment banking, ultimately co-heading investment banking. In 2017 Marisa was appointed CEO of the Impact Advisory and Finance Group and then became the bank’s first Chief Sustainability Officer. She was appointed in early 2022 as a NED of the US-listed broadband and mobile company, Liberty Global plc, and in late 2021 as a non-executive director of Agronomics. She also serves on the advisory council of the City of London Corporation, on the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Sustainable Finance Panel, on McKinsey’s Sustainable Finance Council, and on several High-Level Groups sponsored by the World Economic Forum and the UN with a heavy emphasis on the Ocean and Sustainable finance. Marisa’s external activities also include a charitable Advisory Board roles Room-to-Read. In 2025, Marisa was recognized by CNBC as a Changemaker materially influencing global business, in 2024, she was named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Climate Leaders and in 2021 as one of 100 Global Visionary Leaders by Meaningful Business and EY. She has also been recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in International Business.

Nicola Ranger is Executive Director of Earth Capital Nexus and Professor in Practice of Natural Capital, Risk and Finance in the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She leads interdisciplinary research and policy engagement at the nexus of finance, investment, natural capital, resilience and sustainable development with a global focus. Professor Ranger is a globally recognized expert in sustainable finance, climate and nature, and systemic resilience. Her research focuses on integrating climate and nature risks into financial decision-making.

Sir Andrew Steer is Professor in Practice at the Global School of Sustainability and the International Growth Centre at the LSE, and is also Chair of the RBG Kew. He is former President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund and the World Resources Institute and has held significant positions at the World Bank, including Special Envoy for Climate Change. A global leader in climate and sustainable development, he has helped shape international agendas and mobilise finance for nature and biodiversity through coordinated policy, finance, and institutional action.

More Information

The Global School of Sustainability Forum 2026 convenes international leaders, private and public sector agenda setters and policy makers, and social science researchers at the cutting edge of sustainability innovation. Where the path to global sustainability requires deep and interdisciplinary engagement across human economy, society, politics and behaviour, we are driving dialogue and framing opportunities for a hopeful and prosperous future for all.

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