Business and Nature: An Essential Relationship

October 28, 2025

October 28, 2025

09h30 - 17h00

09h30 - 17h00

BIOPOLIS/CIBIO - Biodiversity and Genetic Resources Research Center, University of Porto, Campus de Vairão, R. do Crasto, nº 765, 4485-684 Vairão.

BIOPOLIS/CIBIO - Biodiversity and Genetic Resources Research Center, University of Porto, Campus de Vairão, R. do Crasto, nº 765, 4485-684 Vairão.

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Conference

Business and Nature: An Essential Relationship

Business and Nature: An Essential Relationship Conference on good business practices for biodiversity and water

The growing degradation of natural ecosystems and the accelerating loss of biodiversity represent urgent challenges that require a collective response. The entire business sector, as an agent of impact, has a fundamental role to play in building solutions that improve the relationship between the corporate world and nature.

Recognizing this responsibility, the conference "Companies and Nature: An Essential Relationship" aims to promote reflection on the role of companies in preserving nature and to present concrete examples of good practices already underway. The initiative also aims to raise awareness among companies with a direct impact on the territory, companies with an indirect impact on the territory through their consumption and industry associations of the importance of integrating nature into business strategies as a factor of resilience, innovation and sustainability.

Registration and more information coming soon

Imagem webinar seção agenda

Program

09:30h
Check-in | Welcome-Coffee
10:00h
Opening and welcome Host and GRACE
  • Isabel Barros, President of GRACE, representing Sonae, SGPS
  • Pedro Beja, Knowledge Partner of the Nature Cluster, representing BIOPOLIS/CIBIO
10:10h
Companies for Water and Nature: Why act now?
  • Nuno Ferrand, Director of CIBIO - Center for Research in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources and of the Associated Laboratory InBIO - Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology
10:40h
What impact companies have on water and biodiversity, and how to mitigate it: Presentation of companies' Good Practices

Moderator: Francisco Taveira Pinto, Director of the Department of Civil Engineering and Geo-Resources (DECG), Coordinator of the Hydraulics, Water Resources and Environment Unit of FEUP's Institute for Sustainable Construction (ICS).

  • Fátima Borges, Director of Sustainability and Social Responsibility at Águas de Portugal
  • Rui Calouro, Regenerative Agriculture Manager - BEL Portugal's Happy Cows Milk Program
  • Fernando Coelho, Lipor's Environmental Education Technician
11:10h
Coffee break
11:40h
Interactive panel: Where can we act?

Presentation of 4 projects with collaborative potential and call to action to companies:

  • Biosphere Hectares
  • ANTARR
  • Pedro Teiga, Founder and Executive Director of E-RIO
  • Artur Branco, Executive Director of the Leça River Corridor Municipalities Association
12:45h
Lunch
14:00h
Parallel workshops

Dynamization by the NBI team

  • ROOM 1 - Natural Value in Consumption This session explores how nature directly influences business margins, revealing the materiality of risks and transforming them into strategic value. Using a Nature Positive approach, participants will discuss how to generate concrete results by reducing impacts and using natural resources efficiently. The session emphasizes the importance of measuring key indicators to guide decisions, with a special focus on water - showing how consuming less can mean more profit margin. The meeting closes with a practical 90-day plan, clearly defining who does what.
  • ROOM 2 - Territory that counts In this room, the starting point is the territory - where the impact really happens. The journey begins with a sectoral mapping, identifying responsibilities and areas of action, and then delves into the assessment of risks, dependencies and opportunities linked to nature. The issue of water once again emerges as a priority, but now from a local perspective: how to mitigate water impacts to ensure the future resilience of territories. The closing is an invitation to collective action, aligning sectors and actors to "close ranks" and move forward together on sustainable solutions.
15:30h
Wrap Up and Next Steps
  • Cristina Santos, Assistant Professor at FEUP and Francisco Taveira Pinto, Director of the Department of Civil Engineering and Geo-Resources (DECG), Coordinator of the Hydraulics, Water Resources and Environment Unit of FEUP's Institute for Sustainable Construction (ICS).
15:45h
Closing Session

Paula Amaral, GRACE Board, representing Bel Portugal

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Contact

Contact us at:

Contact us at:

grace@grace.pt
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