Our Panel 01: Nature-Positive Innovation & Ecosystem Accounting
As pressure mounts to reverse biodiversity loss and account for nature in business and policy decisions, the question is no longer whether ecosystems should be valued — but how, and by whom. This panel explores the frontier of nature-positive innovation and ecosystem accounting, bringing together perspectives from impact valuation methodology, urban ecology and spatial planning, and industrial LCA practice. The discussion will examine how natural capital and ecosystem services can be meaningfully measured and integrated into business decision-making, what role life cycle approaches play in biodiversity and nature accounting, and how science-based methods can translate into actionable tools for companies, planners, and policymakers working toward genuinely nature-positive outcomes.
Short Bio
Javier Babí Almenar is Assistant Professor in Urban Ecology at Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and a lead author on the ongoing IPBES methodological assessment on ecological connectivity and spatial planning. He studies cities as socio ecological technological systems, advancing methods for ecosystem accounting and the characterisation, modelling, and empirical assessment of natural features, ecosystem functions, and services across urban areas and their hinterlands. Combining ecology, GIS, life cycle assessment, and spatial planning, his work delivers actionable science for policy to support biodiversity inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban development. Javier’s experience spans applied and academic settings: he previously worked as a landscape ecology and planning consultant in the UK and as a researcher at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. He holds degrees in Environmental Sciences, Landscape Ecology, and Architecture Urbanism, and earned a double PhD in Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Engineering from institutions in Spain, the UK, France, and Italy.
Short Bio
Michael Verbücheln is Director of Sustainability Methodology Development at the Value Balancing Alliance (VBA). He leads the development of methodologies for impact measurement and valuation in collaboration with around 30 global companies and leading organizations across the sustainability ecosystem, helping translate environmental and social impacts and dependencies into monetary values for better business decision-making. In addition to his work at VBA, Michael teaches executive education and MBA courses at leading business schools in Germany. He is a founding member of the Peer School for Sustainable Development, an initiative that strengthens the capabilities and networks of sustainability professionals. Michael holds a PhD in Sustainable Management from the University of Mannheim.
