Michael McElligott’s Post

Building the Future of Regenerative Communities: A New Era Begins 🌍 In January, we are officially launching a groundbreaking program to regeneratively map the homes of over 18 million Australians—and this is just the beginning. After nearly 18 months of research, planning, and collaboration, we are ready to unveil a transformative framework that empowers communities to shape their own future. At the heart of this effort is a regenerative stack of financial instruments, funds, and development models designed to put communities in control of their own development journey. This initiative isn’t about selling a product—it’s about co-creating a Story of Place with local communities. “C is for Community”—this guiding principle underscores the foundation of what we’re building. A Story of Place is a living narrative, crafted by the people, that lays the groundwork for community cohesion, shared vision, and sustainable growth. Here’s what we’re implementing in each Regen Place within the Regen Places Network: Bioregional Development Funds Community Land Trusts Bioregional Learning (Loving) Centres Regenerative Business Incubators Bioregional Trusts These community-led mechanisms are the backbone of a regenerative economy, designed to empower people and businesses to thrive within their own bioregion. Through a collaborative process, each Story of Place will help define the developmental journey for communities—enabling them to structure their future with a shared vision for prosperity and sustainability. We are creating a future where communities drive their own regeneration. This is a people-powered movement toward a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient world. Let’s work together to build the regenerative communities of tomorrow. #RegenerativeDevelopment #CommunityEmpowerment #BioregionalEconomy #SustainableGrowth #RegenPlaces #PlaceBasedDevelopment #StoryOfPlace #CommunityLed #RegenerativeBusiness #Sustainability #LocalLeadership #CircularEconomy #GreenEconomy #FutureOfCommunities #ImpactInvesting #SustainableBusiness https://lnkd.in/gNmh35VW

🌱🌿🌍 Ambitious global ecosystem restoration targets are in place, but progress remains slow due to funding challenges. 💰 While public institutions are primary funders, recent initiatives highlight the need to scale private finance. However, attracting private investment comes with risks, including misaligned objectives and favoritism towards cost-effective solutions over ecological integrity. Governance and civil society oversight are essential to safeguarding ecological and social equity.   In their paper, Sophus zu Ermgassen and Sara Löfqvist explore the policy landscape and discuss how successful private investments in ecosystem restoration can be ensured.   https://lnkd.in/dBjEbCZk   #EcosystemRestoration #Sustainability #PrivateFinance #Governance

The heart of Australian governance is starting to heat up for the regenerative movement in the ACT How can regenerative principles of social-ecological harmony work as a value-adding process to legacy systems, without triggering more division? Regen Canberra are leading this new initiative for the region as an example for the rest of the country, Regen Places Network, and our global commmunity of practice #governance #localgovernment #stategovernment #federalgovernment #canberra #regenerativefovernance

A useful new report from A New Approach (ANA) looking at arts and culture funding in Australia. With inquiries at federal and state level at the moment looking at local government sustainability/funding there are some really interesting figures looking at the breakdown between levels of government, subsectors and capital/ongoing expenditure. There's some positive news there as well, with funding, still down over the long term, starting to grow again - which in a time where communities are looking for joy and social cohesion and creativity and all the things that make life worth living, is good to see:) #LibrariesTransform #Libraries #Research

🌳 💰 Is the private financing of #rewilding a threat to community empowerment? Enjoyed writing for Community Land Scotland on the risks for #NatureRecovery delivering truly integrated and #transformative social, ecological, and climate benefits. ✨ Blog post: https://lnkd.in/eEx2Bvxz As the urgency to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis grows, private financing is increasingly sought after to support nature recovery projects like rewilding. In Scotland, the government aims to address the £20.4 billion “nature-finance gap” by publishing its Natural Capital Markets Framework, offering guidance and regulatory interventions to develop responsible private investment in natural capital. However, while private financing is essential for upscaling nature recovery efforts, it also raises valid concerns. The over-emphasis on financial returns risks undermining alternative funding models and socio-economic goals, including community empowerment. Prioritising private mechanisms can undermine progress towards delivering community benefits alongside climate and biodiversity objectives, which can (further) marginalise community voices in collective land management and democratic decision-making. I raise some potential issues and risks, and suggest some constructive solutions and ways forwards... 🔎 A longer post, exploring more details, is here: https://lnkd.in/etm2Cm5U

Perhaps you've heard, but we recently welcomed 13 #AmbassadorsofChange to our project! Ambassadors contribute to PLUS Change discussions on equitable land use, representing the interests of groups that are excluded from or underrepresented in land use planning and decision making in Europe. We're beyond excited to have them on board! Scroll to the bottom of our 'About' page to learn more about who they are ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eqqCbuaS #LandUsePlanning #HorizonEurope #TransdisciplinaryResearch

Can we bridge the gap between #nature 🌳 and #finance? 💰 Here's a summary of key takeaways from panel members Stephanie Russo, Leah Armstrong, James Bentley, Dr. Erin Giuliani and Paul Chatterton. This session highlighted the importance of collaboration between government, private, and philanthropic sectors to fund a nature-positive future. Here are my key takeaways: 💸 Leah Armstrong emphasised the need to shift power and visibility to Indigenous communities, mobilising resources and forming strong partnerships. Despite billions in philanthropic funding, only a fraction supports Indigenous initiatives. 🌱 Dr. Erin Giuliani discussed how the NSW BCT facilitates investment through conservation covenants, ensuring that funding reaches critical areas and outcomes are maintained. 🐅 Paul Chatterton highlighted the challenge of making landscape and species projects investment-ready, and the need for scalable nature-based projects. The Nature Positive Landscape Fund, in partnership with Mercer, is one example of tackling this challenge. 🏛️ There’s a need to blend public and private finance to balance public good projects with those that can be privatised. Financial models must adapt to support nature-based solutions, including degraded landscapes and biodiversity credits. 🏡 James Bentley from NAB emphasised the role of banks and green finance, for example, green properties are gaining value. There's also growing interest in carbon markets and integrating non-carbon benefits into financial products. Stephanie Russo wrapped up by highlighting that we must work together to bridge gaps in visibility, scale, and finance models for a sustainable and equitable outcome. And, to accelerate investment and maximise positive impact, the focus should be on leveraging existing tools, systems, and processes to scale initiatives more efficiently. Removing barriers involves using what we already have to drive faster and more impactful progress. Speakers from: Pollination, International Funders for Indigenous Peoples, NAB, Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Landscape Finance Lab, Australian Land Conservation Alliance, #PLC24

The Regenerative Restoration Framework (RFF) offers a comprehensive and globally inclusive strategy to address the intertwined challenges of ecosystem degradation, economic resilience, and international collaboration. Developed by the Earth Refocus Institute (ERI), the RFF integrates innovative policies, community empowerment initiatives, and cross-border collaborations to achieve ecosystem restoration, economic sustainability, and equitable partnerships. Guided by the principle of holistic regeneration, the framework ensures that environmental recovery, social equity, and economic sustainability coexist harmoniously. This whitepaper delineates the RFF's structure, objectives, and implementation strategies, emphasizing its potential to drive systemic change at both local and global levels. Find the Framework here: https://osf.io/68xzh/ #Sustainability #CommunityEmpowerment #CircularEconomy #GlobalCollaboration #Restoration

Which story has inspired you to act today? We may be heading toward global tipping points, but we're also closer to bringing everyone into action through compelling stories and scenarios.👇   Progress toward collective action and system change is needed more urgently needed than ever. Wherever we look, nature loss and climate change-related headlines show that we are moving closer to irreversible tipping points for Earth and human health. 🌎 Deforestation in Malaysia is now being directly linked to outbreaks of diseases from animals to humans [https://lnkd.in/eDTVRTEn]. UK crops are down by almost a fifth due to extremely wet weather worsened by the #ClimateCrisis [https://lnkd.in/enWcsDGy]. Antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs' are also at risk of becoming more dangerous with increases in extreme weather [https://lnkd.in/eMFKQcMa]. Yet in parallel, the seeds of a better future continue to bloom. The state of Pará in Brazil has created two new #conservation areas along the Amazonian coastline, placing almost all of its mangroves under federal protection. The two reserves add 184,600 acres to the largest and most conserved #mangrove belt on the planet [https://lnkd.in/gs89VQA3]. Nature conservation efforts continue in Asia, as a new partnership called Eternal Mongolia will deliver $198 million of investment to support Mongolia in conservation and sustainable community development for protected areas [https://lnkd.in/erUNzbTz From coastlines to the deep seas, an annual ocean conference that took place in Athens last month raised $11.3 billion in pledges for marine conservation [https://lnkd.in/ej-fgTda]. 🌊 But it isn’t just top down collaboration that is successfully breaking down barriers to progress. Residents of La Oroya, Peru, which is known as one of the most polluted cities on Earth, have won a landmark victory from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which has ruled that Peru was responsible for the physical and mental harm that a metallurgical facility’s pollution has inflicted on local people [https://lnkd.in/eC5zPZZn]. ⚖️ Everywhere we look, we can be motivated by people from all walks of life to redouble our efforts in piecing together the building blocks for the fairer, healthier life that everyone deserves. From workers to world leaders, we all share the global commons in common. 👉 Learn more about how we are working to safeguard the #GlobalCommons for a #SafeAndJust future: GlobalCommonsAlliance.org #SystemChange #NatureLoss #TippingPoints #ClimateChange

On March 16th, 2022, I had my second conversation with Thomas Hann, who I believe is really onto something regarding the legal format for bioregionally focussed regeneration enterprises. Rather than creating another association or foundation and being immediately positioned in the fund-receiving, philanthropy or grant dependent mode of attempting to drive change, Thomas is committed to making cooperatives the vehicle of transformation that enables people in place to care for each other and the place that nurtures them through their daily economic activities. Here is the start of an article Thomas wrote recently on the 'regenerative cooperative': "The regenerative cooperative – this is not a buzzword or another attempt to explain old structures into something new with a few additions. In this context, “regenerative” is meant in the literal sense: reconstructive, revitalizing. This distinguishes them from traditional-style cooperatives. The regenerative cooperative (reGen) is a business model with a focus on the sustainable development of their respective region. It not only preserves, but regenerates the nature of its surroundings and the quality of its community and understands the individual development and health of its members as additional relevant balance sheet values. ..." https://lnkd.in/emsCUmzS #bioregionalregeneration #bioregions #regeneration #regenerativedesign #regenerativedevelopment #cooperatives #regenerativeeconomics