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About the Partnership
The Onboarding Nature Toolkit is the fruit of shared research, enthusiasm and a partnership between B Lab Benelux, Earth Law Center’s Nature Governance Agency (ELC-NGA), and Nyenrode Business Universiteit.
The idea of a toolkit for use by certified B Corporations (B Corps) and other organisations was born in early 2023, when B Lab started to work on an inspirational roadmap of the nature inclusive governance practices emerging in the global B Corp community.
To inspire more companies to take on the paradigm shift from human-centred to nature-inclusive governance models, B Lab invited experts from Earth Law Center’s - Nature Governance Agency, and Nyenrode Business University (with support from Liance Legal).
B Lab Benelux
B Lab is transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. A leader in economic systems change, our global network creates standards, policies, tools, and programs for business, and we certify companies —known as B Corps— who are leading the way. To date, the B Corp community includes 775,000 workers in over 8,500 B Corps across 97 countries and 162 industries. More than 280,000 companies manage their impact with the B Impact Assessment.
Earth Law Center | Nature Governance Agency
Earth Law Center educates and advocates for laws and policies that recognize and promote the inherent rights of nature to exist, thrive and evolve. NGA, a trading arm of ELC, integrates the Voice of Nature by guiding, supporting and advising businesses and organizations on how to lead the transition to an Earth-centered society through its Nature integrated services, including HEART consultancy to create a regenerative system of care; legal counsel and feasibility studies; and tangible expertise to integrate Nature Governance into client's organizations.
Nyenrode Business University
NBU is a top-20 European education and research community with global connections. The core values of NBU are: Leadership (Developing a vision and taking responsibility for it by inspiring people, connecting them and acting on it yourself); Entrepreneurship (With a creative mind and proactive attitude, discerning opportunities in uncertainties and daring to put yourself in the spotlight by doing things differently and actively looking for innovation); and Stewardship (Feeling responsible for promoting the long-term sustainable interests for people, the environment and society).
Tessa van Soest (MA)
Tessa is Executive Director Benelux at B Lab, international non-profit organisation working a.o. on certifying B Corps. Tessa is a seasoned business consultant & sustainability expert.
Since 2021 she supports the Rights of Nature movement and co-authored the research ‘Granting Rights of Nature to the Wadden Sea?’. She holds (advisory) board roles in a.o. Stand Up For Your Rights Foundation, promoting human rights to a clean, healthy environment.
Alexandra Pimor (LLB Hons, FHEA, PGCHE)
Alexandra leads the Nature Governance program and the Dandelion fellowship program at Earth Law Center (Nature proxy co-development initiative). Ally is an Earth lawyer, legal scholar, academic, social entrepreneur, and systems coach. She is also the founder of SoaNoia, a consultancy specialising in conscious governance & leadership and organisational & systemic transformation.
Daan van Apeldoorn (LLM)
Daan is the Senior Manager B Corp Impact and Engagement at B Lab and heads the B Corp community in the Benelux. He previously set up WPP NL’s first sustainability team and is an experienced sustainability professional with expertise in stakeholder engagement, Public Affairs and Communications. Daan holds several (advisory) board roles.
Pooja Sharma (Esq.)
Pooja co-leads Strategy, Operations and Planning for the Earth Law Center’s Nature Governance Agency. Pooja co-leads the Strategy, Operations, and Planning on the Nature Governance team. Pooja Sharma is a social enterprise attorney and Rights of Nature advocate based in Los Angeles, CA. Pooja also currently sits on the volunteer run board at B Local Los Angeles where she provides in-house legal guidance and assists with B Corp community engagement.
Project Team Members
Jacobien Viets (LLM)
Jacobien Viets is a seasoned legal counsel specialising in corporate and commercial law. Having worked as in-house legal counsel for over twenty years, she is now an independent legal counsel and partner at legal advisory firm Liance Legal. Jacobien has built up governance expertise by advising a variety of organisations, in (voluntary) board member roles and supporting a conservation organisation operating from the Netherlands.
Ebba Hooft Toomey (BA, BSc)
Ebba is an independent contractor who worked on this project as a researcher and project manager. She has experience working on the Rights of Nature, environmental law, political ecology, and environmental science. Ebba previously supported the establishment and analysis of a global database of over 400 Rights of Nature initiatives, alongside Tineke Lambooy. She has separately worked as a policymaker, wildlife biologist, and movement organizer.
Lucy Ward (BSc)
Lucy co-leads the Strategy, Operations and Planning for the Earth Law Center’s Nature Governance Agency. She is an Earth law advocate, marine biologist, keen ocean advocate and educator on Earth Law. She has experience leading legal research teams and active habitat restoration work.
Prof. Dr. Tineke Lambooy (LLM)
Tineke is a full Professor of Corporate Law at Nyenrode Business University, appointed in 2014. Her research focuses on corporate law, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility (e.g., KVS Preadviezen 2022 - KVS Economenvereniging (kvsweb.nl)), circular economy and, since 2018, Rights of Nature (e.g., Full article: Putting the rights of nature on the map. A quantitative analysis of rights of nature initiatives across the world (tandfonline.com) and Granting Rights of Nature to the Wadden Sea? - Waddenacademie).
She is also one of the founders of the Dutch NGOs Lab Future Generations (2017) and Stand Up For Your Rights (2008), promoting human rights to a clean and healthy environment, Rights of Nature and rights of future generations.
Kate Chan (BA, BBA, Esq, Solicitor)
Kate is a tri-qualified lawyer in US, UK and Hong Kong, specializing in ESG / sustainability law and corporate governance and sustainable investments. She serves as the pro-bono counsel to Earth Law Centre and has advised Earth Law Center and Lawyers for Nature on the Faith in Nature project, as well as the development of a UK framework for Nature as Director. She is the co-lead of the ESG international practice at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.