Join the panel discussion on 'Showcasing the Living Landscapes Approach' as a model of innovative nature-based solutions to protect biodiversity in balance with economic development and understanding the role of private corporations in providing innovative solutions to wildlife protection.

How can Bornean elephants and humans coexist amid different challenges? What are some barriers faced by elephants and humans in Sabah?
Learn what co-existence and good conservation can look like in our special screening of 'Bornean Elephants - A Journey Through A Living Landscape. After the screening of this mini-documentary, speakers from the public and private sectors will discuss the Living Landscapes Approach as a model of innovative nature-based solutions to protect biodiversity in balance with economic development. The panel discussion will be moderated by Tanya Steele, CEO of WWF-UK.

Refreshments will be provided.

Speakers

Dr. Khairul Naim: Dr Khairul Naim Adham is the Undersecretary, Biodiversity Management Division, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources Malaysia since 2018. He is the Secondary National Focal Point for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA); ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (AWGNCB); and the ASEAN Task Force on Peatland (ATFP). He has over twenty years of experience working as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer (PTD) for the Government of Malaysia serving the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Ministry of Internal Security, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources. He holds a PhD in Environment and Development, Master of Science (Science Philosophy and Science & Technology Policy Studies), Bachelor of Horticultural Science and Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Management. He is also a registered Professional Technologist with the Malaysia Board of Technologies (MBOT) in the field of Green Technology.

Datuk Frederick Kugan: Datuk Frederick Kugan is a forester by profession having graduated from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM) (1987) and from New Brunswick University, Canada (1991). He has been with the Sabah Forestry Department since the year 1987 and had served in various positions in the Planning Division and District Forest Offices over the years. He is currently the Chief Conservator of Forests. Datuk Frederick Kugan was the Project Director of the recently completed EU–REDD+ Project entitled “Tackling Climate Change through Sustainable Forest Management and Community Development”. In addition, he was also involved in the facilitation and implementation of several conservation initiatives/projects such as the Heart of Borneo Initiative, the Forest Plantation Transformation Plan, and the upcoming Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration Impact Program (FOLUR) in Sabah. Datuk Frederick Kugan is also the co-chair of the Jurisdictional Certification Steering Committee (JCSC), a multi-stakeholder steering committee that spearheads the implementation of the Sabah Jurisdictional Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (JCSPO) Initiative.

Kamal Seth: Kamal Seth is the Global Palm Oil Lead for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) based in Singapore. His expertise lies in providing strategic direction for mainstreaming sustainable palm oil production, trade and consumption and for organisations to take the necessary actions for UN SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production and UN SDG 13 - Climate Action amongst many others. Kamal has been managing global partnerships and programmes with key stakeholders like companies, financial institutions, civil society organisations, sustainability standards and governments to halt deforestation and to improve the livelihood of smallholders connected to commodities like palm oil. He co-chairs the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’s (RSPO) ‘Assurance Standing Committee’ and ‘Shared Responsibility Working Group’ and is a member of the ‘Standards Review Steering Group’. Previously as the Global Deputy Director, Market Transformation and Head of India for the RSPO, he supported the formation of I-SPOC - Sustainable Palm Oil Coalition for India and scaled up RSPO’s growth and impact in India, China and Asia Pacific. To engage consumers for sustainable consumption, Kamal led the #KnowYourPalm campaign with various stakeholders. He has also been a member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) ‘Expert Review Panel’ and COP26’s Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade – FACT Dialogue Global Multistakeholder Taskforce. He loves to stay updated with the latest developments in the world of market transformation and completed the ‘System Thinking’ programme from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2021.

N L N: N L N Swaroop is the Director of Sustainable Trade Finance and Alternate Distribution at HSBC. Swaroop has over 16 years of rich experience across banking and insurance in varied roles ranging from risk underwriting, trade financing, business development, general management and coverage banking across India and the UK. Swaroop is an active industry voice at ICC, BAFT and ITFA in developing trade as an investible asset class by attracting greater institutional capital and embedding ESG in trade finance. Swaroop is a Chemical engineer by training and holds a Master’s degree in management for FMS, Delhi University. He has a keen interest in the area of sustainable development and has several papers to his credit and is a regular speaker at various industry forums. He is currently pursuing a postgraduate course in Sustainability Leadership at Cambridge University.

Dr Henry Chan: Henry Chan holds the degrees Doctor of Social Sciences from the University of Helsinki, Finland and Master of Philosophy from the Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Malaya. He is Conservation Director for WWF-Malaysia. Leading the mission “to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature,” his responsibilities cover Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, as well as the marine programme spanning the whole of the country. The conservation programmes span Wildlife, Forests and Protected Areas, Freshwater, as well as Policy and Climate Change, Education for Sustainable Development, Community Engagement and Education, Sustainable Production and Consumption, and Sustainable Financing. He joined WWF-Malaysia in May 2012 as Head of Conservation Sarawak. Over April 2015 to July 2017, Henry was seconded to be the Heart of Borneo Leader for WWF-Malaysia and WWF-Indonesia. Henry is a Trustee of the Yayasan Hijau Malaysia, member of the National Biodiversity Roundtable to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Malaysia, and Vice Chairman of the Malaysian Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations. His published works include The Environmental Status of Borneo 2016 (2017); Living Landscapes, Connected Communities: Culture, Environment, and Change Across Asia as co-author (2013); Punan Vuhang Belief System in the Borneo Research Bulletin Vol. 39 (2008); Survival in the Rainforest: Change and Resilience among the Punan Vuhang of Eastern Sarawak, Malaysia, Research Series in Anthropology No. 12 (2007), Securing the Future: Net Zero Pathways for Malaysia Report, November 2021 (Lead Contributing Author).

Tanya Steele: Tanya Steele leads the UK office of WWF, the world’s largest independent conservation organisation. Tanya joined WWF-UK in January 2017 as its first female Chief Executive. Previously, following nearly 15 years in the private sector, she was Executive Director of Marketing, Fundraising and Communications and then interim Chief Executive of Save the Children. Tanya heads up WWF-UK at a critical time, leading an ambitious strategy to tackle the systemic issues – from climate change to finance to the food system – that are driving the catastrophic decline in species and habitats across the world.

Schedule - Nature Positive Pavilion