Earthworm Foundation and Nature-Based Insights Forge Partnership to Accelerate Corporate Nature and Climate Commitments

Nyon, Switzerland & Oxford, UK | 12 December 2024

Non-profit organization Earthworm Foundation (EF) and Nature-based Insights (NbI), a social venture spun out from the University of Oxford, have joined forces to help companies achieve impactful outcomes for nature, climate, and human well-being in their supply chains. This collaboration seeks to bridge the gap between corporate climate and biodiversity goals and actionable, on-the-ground interventions that support local communities.

With businesses under increasing pressure to meet net-zero and biodiversity commitments, challenges persist in translating these targets into effective strategies. Many companies are setting ambitious goals, including aligning with the 1.5°C warming target under the Paris Agreement and contributing to global biodiversity objectives set by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. However, isolated efforts driven solely by reporting requirements often lead to inefficiencies, trade-offs, and unintended consequences.

The partnership between EF and NbI offers a comprehensive approach to addressing these challenges. By integrating Earthworm’s field expertise with Nature-based Insights’ advanced analytical frameworks, companies can take meaningful steps toward climate and biodiversity commitments while ensuring community well-being.

“We see a natural pairing of Earthworm’s extensive experience in fieldwork and supply chain dynamics with Nature-based Insight’s strong foundation in developing analytical frameworks and evidence-based metrics,” says Boris Saraber, Earthworm Foundation’s Chief Operations Officer. “When science and pragmatism come together in the field, we see outcomes that are more effective and more aligned with how real change happens.”

Addressing Gaps in Corporate Action

The need for multidisciplinary solutions is clear. Companies often struggle to align nature-based solutions (NbS) with their net-zero strategies in ways that are both ecologically sound and socially just. Dr. Cécile Girardin, NbI’s Director, emphasized the importance of combining local knowledge with global data:

“To effectively tackle the intertwined climate and biodiversity crises, a multidisciplinary approach is essential. NbI brings decades of expertise in scientific research, advanced data analysis, and challenging fieldwork, while Earthworm Foundation offers unparalleled operational proficiency in implementing landscape programmes in challenging environments. Together, their combined strengths create a solid foundation for delivering impactful, scalable, and high-integrity nature-based solutions.”

Collaborative Successes

The partnership has already yielded positive results, with notable achievements in pilot projects and industry collaboration:

• Field-tested solutions and impact monitoring in the palm and rubber sectors across Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This project is an advanced TNFD pilot (TNFD LEAP Guidance, 2024, p.121; WBCSD the NbS blueprint, 2024).
• Alignments on essential data points to ensure credibility and effective integration of biodiversity metrics.
• Collaborative efforts with local actors, contributing to global platforms such as the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) to adopt nature-based solutions (NbS).
• Enhanced models to quantify ecosystem impacts, identify risks of future degradation, and highlight opportunities for NbS investment.

A key example is their ongoing work with Reckitt, a global consumer goods company. The collaboration aims to implement NbS in rubber and palm oil supply chains while involving stakeholders in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Reckitt’s leadership in this space has set a benchmark for integrating NbS across sourcing regions.

Scaling for Broader Impact

Looking forward, EF and NbI are committed to scaling their innovative approaches. This includes integrating the Biodiversity Impact Metric (BIM) into landscape strategies and expanding tools to help businesses achieve measurable results in their nature-positive and net-zero commitments.

“What gives me hope is the growing strength of the leadership and agency of IPLCs (Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities) and other marginalised groups in NbS,” Dr. Girardin added. “There’s more awareness that rebuilding our relationship with nature is fundamental, not just for tackling climate and biodiversity crises but for shifting our entire mindset towards sustainable living.”

As their collaboration evolves, EF and NbI remain dedicated to sharing insights and best practices with a wider audience, helping companies expedite their climate commitments while fostering positive impacts on biodiversity and local communities.

18 December 2024