#108 Andreas Beckmann: The Role of Business in Nature Restoration

How are businesses helping to protect freshwater ecosystems, biodiversity, and habitats?

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Andreas Beckmann, Regional CEO at WWF Central and Eastern Europe, which works on protecting ecosystems and habitats in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine.

Together they discussed the business case for action on nature and how WWF-CEE has worked with companies such as the Coca-Cola Company and Tesco on conservation and restoration of rivers and wetlands in the region.

You’ll also hear about:

• WWF-CEE's award-winning work on the Living Danube Partnership to protect the EU’s longest river  

• The implications of the Ukraine war on the country’s protected environmental spaces, with around 40% of them being damaged  

• How Central and Eastern Europe is the ‘green heart’ of Europe and why its precious biodiversity urgently needs to be protected  

• Andreas’s message to EU lawmakers working on the Water Framework Directive and Nature Restoration Regulation

• The balancing act environmental NGOs face in having genuine partnerships with companies whilst also being free to criticise and hold them to account

Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!