These fellows have shared their insights across six insightful articles.

• Fixed Income, Flexible Solutions: The Bond Index Reshaping Climate Finance “While it depicts a financial instrument that is purely evidence-based due to its academic origins, it can also be trusted thanks to its sponsor, Bloomberg, which will help ensure a successful launch.” – Giulio Pauen. View the event page here.
• Pricing Nature on the Balance Sheet “Nature functions as essential infrastructure and must be valued beyond its commodified state. If it is not recognized within institutional systems, it remains vulnerable to degradation without consequence.” – Michael J. Davidsen. View the event page here.
• Tracking and Transforming Net Zero finance: Integrity, Innovation & Impact “Scaling climate solutions is critical, but scale must be pursued thoughtfully: it is not about replicating models blindly, but about expanding what works in each local context.” – Giulio Pauen. View the event page here.
• Blended and Beyond: Finance Innovation for Regenerative Agriculture and Market Infrastructure “By mobilizing capital to protect and restore the ecosystems that sustain food production, finance can become a true driver of resilience and regeneration—transforming agriculture from extractive to restorative.” – Michael J. Davidson. View the event page here.
• Innovation in Climate Risk Management Solutions for Asset Owners “Limited in-house expertise forces smaller asset owners to depend heavily on consultants and external managers — many of whom also lack sustainability literacy. This creates a systemic dependency that slows progress.” – Sofiia Martianova. View the event page here.
• Understanding Climate Implications for Assets in Long-Term Portfolios “While green premiums signal progress, the financial system continues to underprice the risks associated with extreme weather, water scarcity, and rising insurance costs. This gap exposes long-term investors to hidden liabilities.” – Sofiia Martianova. View the event page here.

About Villars Fellows

Villars Fellows begin their journey between ages 13 and 19, driven by a passion for enabling change toward a resilient, sustainable future. Partnering high schools and education platforms nominate these young, motivated leaders through a rigorous selection process, guided by the mission and values of the Villars Institute. They engage with thought leaders and gain insights from accomplished experts, executives and entrepreneurs. Learn more →

The post Villars Fellows’ Insights from Building Bridges 2025 first appeared on Building Bridges.

Building Bridges is a three day sustainable finance conference focused on bringing together diverse stakeholders to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economic system aligned with the vision put forth in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. Our 7th Edition will take place on 6-8 October, at the CICG in Geneva. The Summit kicks off three-days of action with over 60 crowd-sourced events on sustainable finance, as well as plenty of opportunities for networking and learning.  It is expected to attract over 2,000 attendees from the finance industry, companies, start-ups, governments, the UN, NGOs, academic institutions, philanthropists, asset owners, and more.

We are seeking a large group of volunteers to support our 2026 Edition.

WHY VOLUNTEER?

• Learning – Building Bridges will cover the most recent and cutting-edge developments related to sustainability and finance.  It is a great opportunity to learn more about this space from leading experts.
• Networking – The initiative is supported by a wide array of partners and all will be in attendance.  It is a great way to meet new people whether it be business leaders from financial institutions, social entrepreneurs from developing countries, UN leaders and governmental representatives, NGOs, researchers, and thought leaders. In addition, you will have the opportunity to meet other volunteers who, like you, are motivated by the desire to make a positive impact and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and equitable financial system.
• Recognition – All volunteers will be recognised in several ways:

  • Each volunteer will receive a certificate and letter recognising their efforts and contributions.

  • Opportunity to interact and engage with business leaders from financial institutions, social entrepreneurs from developing countries, UN leaders and governmental representatives, NGOs, researchers, and thought leaders during the event. This engagement will foster valuable connections, knowledge exchange, and networking opportunities.

  • Volunteers will be named in the final Building Bridges 2026 event report. 

Note: All volunteers are provided with Lunch/ Snacks as per their schedules and allocated tasks during the time of their shifts.

WHAT DO VOLUNTEERS DO?

We have a range of roles for volunteers, they roughly fit into two categories:

• Event-focused activities such as managing the registration and check-in process, providing information, scanning badges, and running the cloakroom.
• Logistics and Management activities such as logistical help to Building Bridges staff, helping attendees with directions, help event organisers with any technical requirements or needs for their events during the week. 

Each volunteer will do a mix of these activities depending on their availability and schedule.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

Any students or other individuals interested in volunteering simply need to fill out this form no later than 4 September, 2026.  In the form, you will have to indicate how many days you are willing to volunteer and your shift availability during the week. This will be used to make you a custom schedule.  Any questions about the Building Bridges Volunteer Programme can be directed to m.mcglynn@buildingbridges.org. 

The post Call for Volunteers 2026 first appeared on Building Bridges.

The discussion took place against a backdrop of rising physical climate risks, increasing insurance pressures and growing recognition that adaptation will shape future capital allocation. Participants highlighted that climate resilience is an investable theme with a wide opportunity set, spanning energy infrastructure, water systems, food, risk analytics and insurance. The challenge lies in translating this into focused, near-term investments.

Investors highlighted the need to prioritise specific sectors and time horizons where climate impacts are already affecting performance and where solutions can be scaled. A recurring issue is how resilience is valued within portfolios. Adaptation is often framed as avoided loss, which makes it harder to price and integrate into investment decisions. At the same time, examples from some participants showed that adaptation solutions are investment opportunities that support revenue, improves asset performance and reduces volatility.

Scaling investment depends on closer coordination across insurance, policy and capital markets. Pooled risk mechanisms, regulatory support and blended finance structures exist, but are not yet consistent across jurisdictions. Participants stressed the importance of using existing tools more effectively and aligning on clearer definitions of adaptation and resilience.

The discussion pointed to the need to mobilise capital into both technology-enabled solutions and physical infrastructure and that much larger capital flows are required for asset-heavy investments such as energy grids, water systems and flood protection. These will depend on clearer policy signals, risk-sharing frameworks and stronger alignment with investor requirements.

This first in-person convening establishes the foundation for the Asset Owner Climate Adaptation Activation Circle as an ongoing platform for coordination and exchange. The next exchange will take place during Building Bridges 2026.

The post Our Climate Adaptation Activation Circle Launches in London first appeared on Building Bridges.

Key insights were clear. The challenge is no longer ambition, but deployability. While transition commitments are well established, participants highlighted a persistent gap between strategy and investment-grade opportunities that meet institutional requirements. Capital is not flowing at pace because many solutions remain too complex, fragmented or unfamiliar to integrate into existing mandates.

There was a strong call for “boring” solutions: stable, predictable and operationally simple structures that align with how large pools of capital are allocated. Different actors use the same terms — transition, resilience, adaptation, nature — but with different meanings, making it difficult to align on priorities and decision-making. This is compounded by inconsistencies in how fiduciary duty is interpreted, creating tension between short-term performance constraints and long-term transition risks and opportunities.

Participants emphasised the need to move beyond treating transition as a separate allocation. A total portfolio approach, embedding climate and nature across asset classes and risk-return frameworks, was seen as essential. At the same time, gaps persist in pipeline visibility and product design. Opportunities in areas such as adaptation, water and hard-to-abate sectors often exist, but are not clearly identified, structured or scaled in a way that makes them investable.

The discussion reinforces the need for clearer structures, shared definitions and closer collaboration between public and private actors to translate transition ambition into near-term capital deployment. 

The post Roundtable on What Asset Owners Need to Deploy Transition Capital first appeared on Building Bridges.

Key insights were clear. Regenerative agriculture is moving from a sustainability concept to core economic infrastructure, driven by supply resilience and risk management needs. Many participants agreed that financial products do not yet match farming realities, including long transition timelines, upfront costs and variable cash flows. At the same time, data and metrics are improving but remain insufficiently standardised to support consistent investment decisions. Scaling will require more integrated approaches. This includes aggregation platforms, supply chain-led financing, stronger risk-sharing mechanisms, and measurement systems that translate environmental outcomes into financial performance. Closer alignment between investors, corporates and public policy, including procurement and subsidy frameworks, was also highlighted as critical.

The discussion created a strong foundation for advancing this thematic area, including at Building Bridges 2026 where a number of Action Events will focus on related issues.

The post Breakfast Roundtable on Investing in Regenerative Agriculture first appeared on Building Bridges.

Beautifully guided through the evening by Naomi Kerbel, Director of Communications at SEC Newgate, Lamia Chouiten, Global Chief Sustainability Officer Asset & Wealth Management of Natixis Investment Managers and Vian Sharif, Founder and and President of NatureAlpha set the tone with remarks that captured both the urgency and the opportunity ahead for sustainability and investment.

Patrick Odier, Chairman of Building Bridges, emphasised the importance of this step forward for the Building Bridges community to deepen collaboration across the ecosystem, with key partners and supporters London. He also shared a preview of the key themes that will shape this year’s Building Bridges Summit (ahead of the event launch on 25 June), offering a glimpse into the conversations that we hope to drive impact across the system.

We were also privileged to hear from distinguished members of our community: Barbara Buchner, CEO of the Climate Policy Initiative, who shared her enthusiasm for hosting the Lab endorsement meeting at Building Bridges this year, marking its first time in Europe. Fiona Watson highlighted important developments from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, while Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, offered a global perspective on the road ahead.

Guests enjoyed two sets from Orchestra for the Earth, with an introduction from Board Chair, Peter de Souza. Orchestra for the Earth uses world-class music to inspire, inform and influence audiences to protect the natural world we all share.

This first London gathering is only the beginning. We look forward to continuing the conversation and to welcoming many of you in Geneva in October.

The post Rooftop Gathering Marks First London Climate Action Week Engagement first appeared on Building Bridges.

As part of the Swiss visit, an event was held at IMD in Lausanne, providing a platform for dialogue with European stakeholders. The delegation, organised by Finnet Trust and led by Executive Director Godwin Kibet Simba, engaged in discussions aimed at strengthening partnerships and exploring new investment opportunities.

During the Lausanne event, John Tidmarsh, Co-founder and CEO of VAI Capital and Partner at the Mobility Credit Fund, contributed to the programme, presenting the fund and extending an invitation to Building Bridges to participate in the discussion. Boris Le Montagner, Head of Strategic Projects at Building Bridges, who leads the Building Bridges for Investing in Africa programme, shared perspectives on fostering collaboration between African and European institutional investors. He was joined by Sasha Cisar, representing Nest Sammelstiftung, a Swiss ecological and ethical pension fund from our ecosystem, and Jon Duncan, Sustainable Finance and Green Economy advisor with extensive experience working with African pension funds and Swiss private banking, further reflecting the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement.

Discussions in Lausanne focused on strengthening investment collaboration between Swiss and Kenyan pension funds, highlighting growing interest from African pension funds in European investment opportunities and from European pension funds in opportunities across Africa.

The visit provided a valuable opportunity to deepen dialogue and explore potential avenues for long-term collaboration across regions around knowledge transfer and evolution of the regulation allowing larger allocation to alternative asset classes such as private markets and infrastructure.

The post Kenyan pension fund delegation visits Switzerland first appeared on Building Bridges.

Throughout the week, Building Bridges engaged in multiple ways, reflecting its role as a neutral platform for exchange and collaboration. This included supporting speakers to contribute their expertise and perspectives to discussions on climate, sustainability and finance. Building Bridges also co‑organised several sessions, notably an event bringing together UBS, Swiss Re and Zurich Insurance on the first day on the role of finance to scale climate adaptation, followed by a high‑level roundtable with Zurich Group. These conversations provided space for senior leaders to exchange views on challenges, opportunities and the evolving role of financial institutions in the transition.

In addition, Building Bridges hosted a dedicated session with three of its founding partners at Careum in Zurich, titled “Sustainable and Climate Finance: From Roots to Innovation”, offering a focused setting to reflect on the foundations of sustainable finance and the importance of continued innovation and collaboration. Building Bridges CEO, Karen Hitschke, moderated a session led by Z Zurich Foundation, building on our commitment to support diverse perspectives and advance collaboration and impact.

Overall, Climate Week Zurich highlighted the value of partnership and dialogue in advancing sustainable finance, and Building Bridges was pleased to play its part in supporting these exchanges.

Learn more at https://www.climateweekzurich.org/

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Watch the recap video