Trinity has launched the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform, a marketplace that seeks to connect the global market demand for nature-based solutions with the supply offered by innovative enterprises around the world.
Launched by John Bell, director of healthy planet, DG research and innovation at the European Commission, and Hazel Chu, Lord Mayor of Dublin, the platform emphasises the potential of nature-based solutions as an emerging industry.
Hundreds of participants from 36 countries across the globe tuned in for the launch of the platform yesterday.
Trinity worked with University College Dublin to launch the project, building on previous collaborative research together into the potential of nature-based solutions to contribute to a “net-zero economy”.
Speaking at the launch, Hazel Chu, lord mayor of Dublin, said: “We welcome the launch of the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform, which connects the global marketplace for nature-based solutions.”
“In Dublin, we are committed as a city to realising the potential of the nature-based economy as evidenced by the plans for deployment of nature-based solutions set out in our Climate Action Plan”, she added.
“We see the potential from this sector to upskill our workers, generate new sources of employment and attract investment from companies with a green corporate agenda.”
The platform comes as part of the Trinity-led Connecting Nature endeavour. The five year €12 million Horizon 2020 project has been focusing on the implementation of nature-based solutions in cities in order to build climate resilience. The European Commission and the United Nations have underlined the role of such projects in the mitigation of climate change.
Coordinator of the Connecting Nature Horizon 2020 project, Professor Marcus Collier added that: “Nature-based solutions have the potential for realising multiple co-benefits from greening our cities – something that has become the subject of public discourse since the restrictions of COVID-19 were imposed.”
“Regreening our cities can go hand in hand with regreening our economy, and nature-based enterprises are an excellent opportunity for establishing a new model for this.”
