SBP has today announced the appointment of Annawati (Anna) van Paddenburg as a Board Director representing civil society. Anna replaces Professor Kathy Willis who stood down from the Board at the end of 2020.
Anna is a green growth professional with almost two decades of international experience integrating the value of nature in economic and financial decisions. Her work with various international NGOs and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) has covered projects in the Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America regions.
Anna has a long track record in working with governments, business and communities to design investment and policy solutions which shape resilient and sustainable landscapes, where biodiversity is valued and climate risks are managed. She holds several advisory roles in support of boards, committees and expert coalitions, including the Predator Free Hauraki Coromandel Community Trust, The International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy, and the Natural Capital Working Group at the Green Growth Knowledge Platform.
Commenting on Anna’s appointment, Francis Sullivan, SBP’s independent Chair, said, “I am delighted to welcome Anna to the Board of SBP. Anna brings with her a wealth of experience of the critical issues SBP is currently discussing, specifically natural capital and biodiversity conservation. And as the trade of sustainable woody biomass is becoming increasingly global, we will also value her Asia-Pacific experience.
“As a multi-stakeholder organisation, we need and welcome the knowledge and experience of environmental and social specialists as well as those from commerce”.
Martin Porter, Vice-Chair of SBP, commented, “I am very much looking forward to working with Anna, whose breadth of knowledge and experience of working with international sustainability and biodiversity-focused NGOs and multi-stakeholder platforms will bring an important dimension to the work of the Board”.
Commenting on her appointment, Anna van Paddenburg said, “I am excited to join the SBP Board. The biomass debate continues to attract the interest of a wide range of stakeholders and I believe it is essential for the Board, the highest level of oversight of the organisation, to listen to thoughts and solutions shared by civil society groups. These are critical years for action on biodiversity and climate. From within the Board, I will encourage SBP to go beyond compliance and deliver tangible green growth outcomes”.