What's Covered

The VERGE Nature Forum will present the key frameworks, principles and tools to help businesses embark on a nature-positive trajectory. Participants will learn how to articulate the business case for conservation and regeneration, explore ways to measure progress and identify strategic connections to other climate and sustainability priorities. They will form collaborative relationships with peers and thought leaders by engaging in ample networking and mentorship time, in addition to an immersive nature excursion. The result will be a tightly knit community working together to create a healthy economy on a thriving planet.

Audience

The forum hosts a curated group of 100 leaders working to align nature-related programs with sustainability goals. Roughly two-thirds represent Fortune 1000 companies, startups and investors; the balance come from NGOs, trade groups, consultancies, government and academia.

Schedule

Monday, October 24, 2022 - All times in PST

11:30 am  - 12:30 pm: Arrival & Lunch

12:30 pm  - 1:30 pm: Keynotes

 A stimulating series of presentations and conversations will explore how businesses should act on nature, what advancing industry frameworks and policy initiatives will mean for their work and why the success of nature-based solutions depends on indigenous leadership.

1:30 pm  - 2:00 pm: Coffee Break 

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Solutions Marketplace

Discover the five key areas businesses can embrace to advance their nature conservation and regeneration journeys in small groups facilitated by the sector’s leading organizations.

• Assess: How can companies identify and measure their impact on the natural world?

• Commit:  What process can companies follow to set nature-based targets?

• Transform: Which immediate, mid and long-term steps can companies take to protect and regenerate ecosystems?

• Advocate: How can companies leverage their influence on policy, public opinion and markets to accelerate a systemic transition to a nature-positive future?

• Finance: Which financial mechanisms can companies, investors and asset managers leverage to incentivize nature-positive practices?

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm:  Bus Transfer to Mountain View  

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm:  An Ecology Tour of Google’s New Bay View Campus

 Join us for a walking tour at Google's new Bay View campus in Mountain View, where the company created 17.3 acres of high-value native natural areas. Explore biodiverse outdoor landscaping, including a mosaic of wetland habitats, open-water ponds and critical habitat for local wildlife and migrating songbirds. The tour will spark lively conversations around restoring and enhancing nature to foster biodiversity and support other sustainability benefits in new corporate development projects.

6:00 - 9:00 pm: A Biodiversity-Rich Dinner Under the Stars

Following the ecology tour, the Nature Forum will conclude with a reception and dinner prepared by Google’s Vitality Lab and sponsored by its Ecology team. Dinner will be served outdoors with a view of Bay View’s oak groves and the campus’ nature-filled landscaping. The meal will feature Google’s local food sourcing and regenerative farming practices.

9:00 pm: Bus Transfer to San Jose