Taking place in Edinburgh from Wednesday, 27 November to Thursday, 28 November, this pivotal symposium is co-hosted by Edinburgh Napier University and Greenbank Investments, with event sponsorship support from Greenbank Investments, CGI and the International Sustainable Forestry Coalition (IFSC). This event aims to position Scotland as a leader in sustainable forestry.

Leveraging Scotland's £1 billion forestry sector, which supports 34,100 jobs, the event aligns with the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.The symposium will address critical strategies to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, manage risks, and adopt innovative investment mechanisms, focusing on advancing community wealth building.

Responding to the Scottish Taskforce’s recent call for green finance and sustainable development, this year’s symposium focuses on:

• Growing investment relationships and advancing Scotland as a global hub for green finance
• Expanding market demand for sustainable forestry products
• Providing top-tier training and educational programmes
• Harnessing new opportunities in the sector

This event serves as a collective call-to-action, aiming to weave community well-being and collaborative efforts into the fabric of the forestry industry’s growth,thereby fostering a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.

Keynote speaker: 

Dr David Brand, Executive Chair of New Forests,manages over $8 billion in sustainable forestry assets. Dr Brand will discuss how impact investments can promote ecological restoration, carbon sequestration, and economic growth, thus reinforcing Scotland's position at the forefront of Europe's sustainable forestry industry

Speakers / contributors

This symposium will be chaired by Professor Paul Atkinson of Edinburgh Napier’s Business School with other guest speakers and contributions from:

• Professor Nikolaos Antonopoulos, Edinburgh Napier University
• Mary Jane Brouwers, Vice-Chair of the Impact Investment Symposium and Treasurer, Castle Community Bank
• Amanda Bryan, Lecturer and Consultant, Chartered Forester
• Janusz Brzeszczynski, Edinburgh Napier University
• Shireen Chambers, CEO, Future Woodland
• Professor Maxwell Chipulu, Edinburgh Napier University
• Simon Comer, Investment Director, Scottish National Investment Bank
• Associate Professor Chris Cramphorn, Edinburgh Napier University
• Professor Karen Diele, Edinburgh Napier University
• David Gardner CIO, Gresham House
• Paulus Geraedts, Team Leader, Innovative Finance, Secretariat of the External Investment Plan
• Dr Stuart Glen,  Scottish Forestry Trust
• John Goffin, Chief Commercial Officer, Kana Earth
• Stuart Goodall - CEO, CONFOR
• Olli Haltia, Managing Partner, Dasos Capital (Finland)
• Professor Gary R. Hutchison, Edinburgh Napier University
• Professors Mark Huxham, Edinburgh Napier University
• Dr Helen McKay, Chief Forester for Scotland
• Ross Hampton, Executive Director, International Sustainable Forestry Coalition
• Ed Heather-Hayes, Co-chair Nature Finance Certification Alliance and Head of Development, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust
• Mark Irish, Isio, Head of ESG Consulting
• Professor Ki-Hoon Lee, Sustainability in Business
• Craig Leslie, Investment Director, Greenbank Investments
• Jim McCormick, CEO of The Robertson Trust
• Sarah Murray, CEO of Forth Green Freeport
• James O’Mahony, Founder and Managing Director of HIOM Advisory
• Jo O’Hara, Vice-Chair, Changeworks
• Dame Susan Rice DBE, Chair of Forth Green Freeport, Global Steering Group, GEFI

Please note, this event is by invitation only. For further enquiries about this event, please email innovation@napier.ac.uk

With thanks to our sponsors: