Demystifying the Implementation of Effective Collaboration

Last week, leaders from the conservation, business, and finance sectors convened in Cambridge for the Nature Action Dialogues to scale and accelerate tangible solutions for biodiversity, climate, and water. This year’s theme, Accelerating private sector action at the nexus of biodiversity, climate and water, underscored the urgent need to transform economic systems and corporate practices to tackle the root causes of nature loss and address environmental and social challenges holistically.

The Dialogues brought together a diverse range of voices and perspectives, reflected in a dynamic programme of interactive sessions. Topics ranged from aligning financial flows and building business resilience plans to the rise of nature tech and the power of compelling communication. A consistent thread throughout the discussions was the critical importance of strengthening collaboration, both across sectors and within them.

As part of the event, we co-led an interactive session titled Demystifying the implementation of effective collaboration, delivered by Abraham Baffoe, Executive Director Global and Africa at Proforest, and Joe James, Deforestation and Conversion Lead at Sainsbury’s. We aimed to deepen participants’ understanding of how collective action in production landscapes works and the tangible benefits it brings for both nature and people. We also explored practical approaches to scaling up collaboration and investment in landscape initiatives, grounding the conversation in real-world examples of initiatives already delivering impact on the ground.

Key takeways:

• Nexus thinking is critical: Addressing biodiversity, water, food, and health together is essential. Proforest’s work across systems helps avoid siloed approaches and deliver shared benefits.

• Scale what works: Many effective solutions already exist. Our role includes connecting frameworks and translating emerging concepts into practical action on the ground.

• Landscape approaches deliver impact: There is strong recognition of landscape and jurisdictional initiatives as effective tools. Through real-world examples, Proforest is helping to bridge the gap between strategy and implementation.

• Data must serve action: Calls for more biodiversity data are growing, but it must be collected with purpose. Proforest advocates for collaborative, stepwise approaches that link data to decision-making.

• Finance must align with nature: Biodiversity is a growing priority for financial institutions. Proforest supports efforts to link investment with meaningful outcomes for nature and people.

• NBSAPs need stronger private sector links: National biodiversity plans offer untapped opportunities for collaboration. Proforest is well placed to help connect corporate action with national goals.