News item | 06-02-2023 | 12:58
How do we capitalize on the opportunities that nature offers for a pleasant, healthy society? And how do we ensure that nature becomes part of everything we make and do? A team of nine administrators set out with these questions from the national Nature Inclusive Agenda. They are leaders in nature-inclusive thinking and working in their own field: construction, energy, financial sector, health, infrastructure, agriculture, education and awareness, leisure economy and water.
These domain leaders connect public and private parties and challenge to take an extra step for nature as a natural part of how we work, live and live. They do this from the Nature Inclusive Agenda. This year, it focuses on the development of a joint investment agenda for a nature-inclusive society.
Green mental health care and local building materials
The domain leaders work daily on the smart use of nature in their sector. There are good experiences with that. Think of green mental health institutions that use nature as a source of mental health. Or construction companies that develop houses from natural building materials that are grown locally and the construction of wind farms that provide living space for cod and flat oyster.
Working from nature also helps to solve major challenges in our living environment when it comes to climate, water and food. A flourishing and robust nature retains CO2, purifies the water optimally and provides a soil full of life on which we grow our food. And that is the basis for our health and existence. The rural area plays a key role. A combination of functions is possible there. For each area, the provinces are looking at how they can combine nature restoration, nitrogen reduction and more climate-proof living and working. The bundling of thinking and development power from the various sectors of the Nature Inclusive Agenda provides new inspiration and opportunities for this.
Nine domain leaders
The new domain leaders stimulate a nature-inclusive society by combining their experience and expertise from different fields.
The domain leaders are:
- Onno Dwars – Construction (Ballast Nedam)
- Marjolein de Gorter-Manhoudt – Energy (TenneT)
- Alex Datema – Agriculture (Farming Nature)
- Lidwin van Velden – Financial sector (Dutch Water Board Bank)
- Renske Visscher – Health (Institute for Nature Education)
- Eveline Buter – Infrastructure (Witteveen+Bos)
- Noëlle Aarts – Education & Awareness (Radboud University)
- Geert Dijks – Leisure Economics (HISWA-RECRON)
- Wim Dossaert – Water (Dunea)
Together with many representatives of governments, social parties, companies and organizations, they form the new Nature Inclusive National Consultation (NiNO) under the leadership of ambassador André van der Zande. He says about this:
‘Nature-inclusive working requires a change in our thinking. Fortunately, there are already frontrunners in all sectors who are setting a good example. It is now a matter of moving from a handful of parties to many. With nature as an ally, we can leave a pleasant and healthy society for future generations. We at NiNO are fully committed to that.’
Towards an Agenda Nature inclusive 2.0
In June 2022, a broad group of the Interprovincial Consultation (IPO) and provinces, Staatsbosbeheer, Natuurmonumenten, LandschappenNL and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, together with representatives of many parties from society, presented the first Nature Inclusive Agenda. The work of the domain leaders is part of the implementation of the first agenda. This year, a second version of the Agenda will be developed, including an investment agenda.