Unlocking Investment in Biodiversity Finance

Hélène Perier is policy officer in charge of biodiversity finance in DG Environment, European Commission (unit in charge of natural capital and ecosystems health). She has been working in the European Commission since 2012 on EU and international biodiversity policies, wildlife trade, deforestation and timber trade. Before joining the Commission, Hélène worked on biodiversity policies in the French Ministry of Environment as well as in the French National Forest Office as of 2005.

Ines Verleye has extensive experience on environmental policy and governance issues at national, regional and global level, in particular regarding biodiversity-related conventions. She has been the head of the Belgian delegation to the CBD negotiations since 2007 and is closely involved in negotiations and efforts related to resource mobilization for biodiversity at different levels.

Currently Head of the EU Biodiversity Conservation Unit at the Ministry of the Environment, Petr Havel has been responsible for implementation of Nature Directives in the Czech Republic for 10 years, dealing with methodological guidance of the state administration within this topic, associated policy and expert issues and cooperation with the European Commission. He is a supervisor of the Czech LIFE Integrated project One Nature, member of EU Biodiversity Platform, Habitats Committee and Nature Directives Expert Group. Under the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union, he was a leading expert during the start of the negotiations on the EU Nature Restoration Law and since then, he coordinates its future implementation in the Czech Republic.
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Ladislav Miko is an experienced environmental expert with a varied career in both national and international roles. He currently serves as an environmental advisor to the President of the Czech Republic and the Minister of the Environment. He has extensive experience in the European Commission, where he held key positions such as Deputy Director General for Food Safety and Director for Nature and Biodiversity. His background also includes roles as Minister of Environment in the Czech caretaker government, Deputy Minister and soil biologist at the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

She leads the EIB's efforts to support EU and international biodiversity policies; develop business models and financing instruments to support nature-positive investments and drive natural capital transformation. Prior to joining the EIB she was an environment specialist at the Asian Development Bank. She has over 20 years of experience in environmental impact assessment, natural resource management and biodiversity conservation and has worked extensively across Europe, Asia, the Pacific and Africa with various development agencies and projects.

Andrej Bibic is a seasoned expert in biodiversity conservation with over two decades of experience in environmental policy, strategic planning, and project management. He leads the Biodiversity Division at the Ministry for the Environment and Spatial Planning in Slovenia, where he implements national biodiversity policies, coordinates public conservation institutions, and prepares key legislation, including the development and management of the Natura 2000 Management Programmes. Andrej has also held leadership roles in international and national NGOs, and has a background in research and education, with a BA in Biology from the University of Ljubljana.