How do you persuade businesses to invest in nature? I went to Helsinki to find out.
On the 23rd and 24th of October the European Commission held its annual European Business and Nature Summit at the grand Finlandia Concert Hall in Helsinki, Finland. It brought together European politicians and policymakers with representatives of businesses from around Europe (including the UK) to discuss the transition to a sustainable economy in the EU, and how and why businesses should invest in nature and environmental protection.
I was there as Assistant Editor and Network Developer for the recently rebooted Science for Environment Policy (SfEP) news service, an environmental news outlet produced here at the Science Communication Unit on behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Environment. I was lucky to be sent over to Helsinki to promote the service, make connections and get a taste of how the European Commission functions.
I started with the SfEP project back in April this year, though I wasn’t entirely new to the SCU, having completed the MSc Science Communication back in 2024. I guess I couldn’t stay away! I joined the Unit from a role at Bath Uni which was similar in that I was a journalist in an academic world, not always the easiest fit, but rewarding work. My previous project was investigating corporate influence in science, policy and public health, with a focus on Big Tobacco. For this reason, I approached a summit bringing together business and financial interests with policymakers with some caution, perhaps even cynicism. Would it be a greenwashing opportunity for business interests or a more authentic engagement in protecting nature?
I left pleasantly surprised on several counts. The businesses invited by the European Commission had for the most part been selected for their engagement with nature protection and restoration. So the big polluters were not in attendance, whilst various agricultural and financial interests were. There also seemed to be a sincere belief in the idea that “what’s bad for nature is bad for business”, as Director-General for Environment, Eric Mamer, put it in his opening remarks. It was interesting to see how familiar scientific and environmental advocacy talking points on nature restoration were skilfully presented to the audience of business people, framed in a way that was persuasive to their interests rather than threatening.
It was also a great opportunity to hand out brochures and talk to various researchers, non-profit groups, advocacy groups and policymakers about the work we do at UWE and SfEP. One great connection I made was with the Baltic Sea Action Group, a non-profit taking a broad approach to protecting the Baltic Sea and its biodiversity by working with “researchers, companies, decision-makers, authorities, and farmers.” They also led several sessions at the summit that touched on effective stakeholder collaboration on complex and controversial environmental protection projects.
The final pleasant surprise (though perhaps not really a surprise, but certainly pleasant) was Helsinki itself. The city is beautiful, very clean and has a pervasive sense of calm. Apparently, it recently went a full year without a single traffic death, which speaks to its orderly sensibility. Returning to Bristol coach station into the midst of full Saturday night revelry reinforced Helsinki’s serene atmosphere. Some put this down to the saunas, which I sampled, both at the hotel (they all have saunas) and at a public sauna which included a freezing dip in the Baltic sea, followed by baking in a large concrete room heated by a massive brick furnace. On the surface not the most relaxing sounding experience, but I left feeling pretty like I’d been rebooted.
It was a successful trip on several counts, not least because working virtually with a gigantic organisation like the European Commission has the potential to feel rather remote, so being able to meet people and feel like I had a role to play in a much, much larger project and its commendable environmental goals was a great opportunity.
By Louis Laurence, Assistant Editor and Network Developer, Science for Environment Policy