Welcome to 20/30 Visions, a new Bridges series in which we ask experts and thought-leaders from around the globe: what needs to change if we want to build a more sustainable and inclusive future in the next decade? And how do we make that change happen?

We are hugely reliant on nature; it is the bedrock of a healthy society and a healthy economy. Yet the human race continues to damage nature in profound ways. We urgently need to invest in restoring nature – but the current funding gap between existing commitments and the amount required is thought to be around $700bn a year globally.

For this episode of 20/30 Visions, we caught up with James Alexander, chair of Finance Earth, a social enterprise set up to try and channel more private and public capital to invest in nature, climate and communities. We discuss:

• The scale and urgency of the challenge we face when it comes to nature
• Why natural capital solutions may be the key to tackling climate change
• How the UK government is trying to kick-start the market
• Marrying his passion for sustainability with his interest in innovative finance
• The challenge of human nature
• Why it’s time to mandate action – and punish laggards
• and more…

Watch our conversation here:

Or you can download James’s insights to read as a PDF below: