Natural Capital Conference 2025

Antonin Vergez

Senior Expert for Natural Resources Economics, IUCN

Antonin Vergez joined IUCN in June 2021 as a Senior Expert on Natural resources economics to be part of the Economic Knowledge Unit. He is working on several themes such as BIODEV2030 project, the STAR metric, environmental accounting approaches, the CBD post 2020 framework as well as on the trade and deforestation and harmful subsidies issues.

Website : IUCN

Alexander Venn

Team Leader & Coral Physiology Team, Centre Scientifique de Monaco

Alexander Venn is Team Leader of the Coral Physiology and Biochemistry Team at the Centre Scientifique de Monaco. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of York, UK, and conducted part of his doctoral research in Bermuda, where he began studying the effects of climate change–related stressors on reef-building corals. He joined the CSM in 2008 and has since collaborated with colleagues to advance understanding of coral tolerance to thermal stress and ocean acidification. He is the co-author of more than 40 publications in international peer-reviewed journals.

Website : Le centre

Célia Berche

Partnership Manager, Blue Alliance Marine Protected Areas

Célia is the Partnership Manager at Blue Alliance. She holds a Master's in Corporate Finance from ESSCA School of Management. After a few years working as head of partnerships and finance for a French foundation, she is convinced that companies need to redirect their investments towards supporting projects that respect the environment and people. That's why she has chosen to focus her professional career on organisations whose projects are designed to meet a collective objective of social and environmental benefit. She believes that one of Blue Alliance's main challenges is to ensure the sustainability of MPAs by diversifying the funding model.

Website : Blue Alliance Marine Protected Areas

Camille Maclet

Natural Capital & Biodiversity Lead, BNP Paribas

Camille Maclet is the Group Expert on Biodiversity and Natural Capital at BNP Paribas. His focus is to propose and implement BNP Paribas’s strategy on nature, across business entities, from a business opportunities perspective as well as through a risks and impacts lens. In 2022-2023, he was the Finance Sector Engagement Lead for the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). He was also Advisor to the co-Chair of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), Ms Elizabeth Mrema. Camille Maclet worked 15 years in sustainability consultancy to public developments banks, private financial institutions, and investors, in a range of economic sectors and geographies. From 2012 to 2020, he was the Partner-in-charge of Sustainable Finance Advisory with Environmental Resources Management (ERM) in France.

Website : « La crise de la biodiversité modifie rapidement les territoires dans lesquels nous évoluons » - BNP Paribas

Sana Ben Abdallah

Associate Professor - FSEG Sfax and Adjunct Professor - SKEMA BS Paris

Sana BEN ABDALLAH is Doctor in Economics and associate professor at University of Sfax – Tunisia. She is adjunct professor at Skema Business School – Paris and Africa Business School – Morocco. Her areas of interest include sustainable finance, CSR, banking and finance. She is an ESG expert at European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies (EFFAS) and contributed to the chapter on Africa within the CESGA Module 10 ESG regional developments. She is a founding member of African Finance Network and a member of the International Observatory of Sustainable Finance Observatoire international de la finance durable. Sana BEN ABDALLAH is co-founder of the Fintech SPI and CSR Advisor to the Union of Maghreb Banks (UBM). She is Editor of the journal African Finance for Development Review (AFDR). She has recently published academic articles in international journals such as Finance Research Letters, Economics Bulletin, Computational Economics, Business Ethics: A European Review, and Revue d'économie financière (Best Paper Award in Responsible Finance 2019: Responsible Finance Competition for Researchers from Francophone Emerging Countries). 

Céline Le Bohec

Polar biologist, Centre Scientifique de Monaco

Robert-Alexandre Poujade

Biodiversity Lead, BNP Paribas Asset Management 

Robert-Alexandre joined the ESG research team of BNPP AM in 2015 and is in charge of the consumer staples and retail sectors. Robert-Alexandre leads BNPP AM thinking on biodiversity and is in charge to drive the implementation of BNPP AM biodiversity roadmap. This includes embedding biodiversity in BNPP AM investments process and funds, stewardship and operations. He is also member of IWC’s Sustainability Committee. 

Robert-Alexandre has been involved in several collaborative projects with Capitals Coalition, UNEP-WCMC or Global Canopy. He currently represents BNPP as a deputy member of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and is a member of Partnership for Biodiversity Accounting Financials (PBAF). He is also member of the Steering Committee of the Corporate Biodiversity Footprint of Iceberg Data Lab, of the Steering Committee of CDP Biodiversity and is part of the Technical Advisory Group of SPOTT Palm Oil and of SPOTT Timber, Pulp and Paper of the Zoological Society of London. 

Prior to his current role, he spent four years as a Structurer in the Structured, Guaranteed and Asymmetric Solutions team of BNPP AM. 

Robert-Alexandre earned a Master's degree in Management, majoring in Finance at ESCP Europe - Business School, Paris (2010). 

Robert-Alexandre is based in Nanterre. 

Maÿlis SALIVAS

Executive Secretary, ACCOBAMS 

Pauline Blandin

Investment Director - Impact Investment, BNP Paribas Asset Management

She worked for 10-years in CIB Commodities Financing activities, throughout different positions (Credit Analysis, Structuring and Coverage – Relationship Management) in Brazil for 4 years, in the US for 3 years and, since 2018 in Paris, with a specific focus on tropical agri-commodities and energy structured financing.

From 2020 to 2022 Pauline worked for BNPP’s Sustainable Finance team, in charge of structuring and promoting sustainability-linked loans, social and green loans for large corporate clients in EMEA – with a continued focus on food & agri-chains and natural capital themes, but also on specific industries such as shipping. 

Since 2022 Pauline joined BNPP AM Private Assets – Ecological Transition & Impact team and currently works as Investment Director in the Impact Investment team dedicated to investing (both equity / Venture Capital and debt) an envelope of 200m€ (on BNPP’s own account) in start-ups and projects around 3 impact areas: Social Impact, Natural Capital, Local Development & Climate Change

Website : (55) Pauline Blandin | LinkedIn

Pinar Deniz

Assoc. Prof. Dr. , Marmara University

Pinar Deniz joined the Department of Economics at Marmara University in 2016. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from Marmara University in 2014. Her area of expertise is applied macroeconomics.

She is the editor of Journal of Research in Economics. Some of her articles have been published in journals such as Economics Letters, Regional Studies, Empirical Economics, European Journal of Political Economy.

Victoria Leccia

ESG expert, Oceans, Chemicals and Coal Power, BNP Paribas

Romain Ciarlet

Executive Director and General Secretary of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. 

Romain Ciarlet is involved on various missions including strategic planning, fundraising, program management and coordinates the Foundation's actions on impact investing and innovation. 

Romain has notably led the development of the Ocean Innovators Platform, which aims at promoting innovative companies and investment solutions dedicated to conserving the world’s ocean, seas and marine resources.

Since 2023, Romain is also part of the investment committee of the ReOcean Fund, a private equity fund dedicated to SDG14 created as part of a partnership between the Prince Albert II Foundation and Monaco Asset Management.

Before joining the Foundation in 2019, Romain spent several years as a career diplomat in Germany and in Russia, working on a range of international projects related to economic cooperation, culture, and science. His experience in diplomacy has given him a special perspective at the intersection of business, policy, and sustainability, which he brings to his work at the Foundation.

Michel Kaine 

Founder & CEO, Grogenics

As a Mechanical Engineer, entrepreneur, and founder of Award Industries, I pioneered groundbreaking solutions in utility infrastructure, earning patents for both underground electrical connectors and an innovative water hand pump now improving access to clean water in communities across Africa and the Caribbean. My commitment to sustainable development led me to establish Grogenics, where I lead initiatives that turn environmental challenges into opportunities through strategic partnerships. Beyond my work, I have dedicated over 30 years to supporting the arts, serving on the Board of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Website : https://www.grogenics.eco