Join Nature

Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse are two of the main environmental risks to be faced in the coming years. The impact on environmental quality is combined with the economic aspect: over 50% of global GDP, equal to $44 trillion, is generated by economic activities that depend on nature and its services (The Global Risks Report 2023, World Economic Forum), but the decline in ecosystem services could lead to a contraction of up to $2.7 trillion by 2030 (The Economic Case for Nature, 2021, World Bank).

Faced with this scenario, investing in biodiversity conservation projects results in the generation of economic value: the economic benefits from such investments are estimated at around €70 trillion at European level by 2050 and every euro invested in biodiversity can generate a return of €14.70 in the form of benefits for the community (benefits from ecosystem services such as carbon storage and sequestration, water quality regulation, pollination and the production of renewable raw materials) (Impact assessment study for the European Commission to support the development of legally binding EU nature restoration, 2023, Trinomics, IEEP, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN).

The objectives of restoring biodiversity are ambitious and to achieve them, public-private partnerships, networking and creation of spaces for collaboration are necessary, including with the private sector. As part of this challenge, Fondazione Cariplo can play the role of aggregator, facilitating the creation of relationships and the systemisation of human and economic resources between local areas and businesses.

In 2023, the Join Nature project was founded, with the aim of involving companies in the protection of natural capital and biodiversity.

By participating in the call to action (see attachment at the bottom of the page), companies operating in Fondazione Cariplo’s catchment area (Lombardy and the Piedmont provinces of Novara and Verbano-Cusio-Ossola) can co-finance nature redevelopment interventions. The interventions (e.g. planting and forestation, habitat redevelopment, reintroduction of native animal and plant species, enhancement of land-based and river ecological corridors, river redevelopment, etc.) are collected in a constantly updated portfolio (see attachment at the bottom of the page); for each intervention, this includes a summary sheet with the main information. It is also possible to search for interventions in the areas where the plants of the companies concerned are located.

In addition, another important aspect characterises Join Nature and constitutes its value proposition, again thanks to the local contacts of Fondazione Cariplo, non-profit organisations, (social co-operatives, sports associations, environmental training bodies) and local institutions will be activated, to encourage the active involvement of citizens and the community: Join Nature represents the opportunity for shared and participatory projects for the protection and enhancement of biodiversity, as well as for use of land.

Fondazione Cariplo contributes to the implementation of the interventions identified in the portfolio with a total budget of €1,000,000, in the form of a grant to the managing bodies of the natural areas identified. 

To date, the following collaborations are active:

  • Edison for the “Terraces with a View” project by the Terraviva Fondiaria Association
  • CAP Group for the “Apistrade”, “Apistrade 2” and “Redevelopment of the Seveso” projects by Parco Nord Milano
  • Bolton Food for the “Arrangement of the nature trail in the Seveso Valley” project by the Parco delle Groane
  • Crédit Agricole Creditor Insurance for the “Redevelopment of the Villoresi Forest in the municipality of Carugate” project by the Parco Agricolo Nord Est
  • A2A for the “Redevelopment of wetlands in favour of Ardea cinerea and Rana latastei” project by LIPU.