Watch the recording from the webinar below!

Climate change is undeniably threatening our natural world. Consequently, average surface temperatures are rising, as are food insecurity, climate-related health risks, and economic disruption.

To mitigate these impacts, a suite of solutions needs to be investigated, invested in, and implemented. One approach is to harness the power of nature. Nature-based solutions, such as biological carbon sequestration, can help remove CO2 from the atmosphere through storage in vegetation, soil and aquatic environments. 

During this webinar, we dove into the topic of biological carbon sequestration and gained a better understanding of its associated environmental and social benefits. We were joined by Bryan Gilvesy of ALUS who spoke on natural carbon sequestration solutions, the agricultural nature-based projects ALUS is carrying out that supports carbon reduction targets, and the opportunities that exist in the region. 

This webinar is organized as part of the Great Lakes Carbon Collaborative, a cross-industry platform jointly led by CGLR and USBCSD that explores different techniques and strategies for carbon reduction in the Great Lakes region.

Speaker: 

Bryan Gilvesy, CEO, ALUS

Bryan is CEO of ALUS, a community-led, farmer delivered charitable program that engages farmers and ranchers to produce nature-based solutions for our greatest environmental problems. He is also owner of the Y U Ranch (yuranch.com), a sustainable grass-based ranching operation in Norfolk County, Ontario.

Moderator:

Claude Griffin, Executive Director, US Business Council for Sustainable Development

Claude is the Executive Director of the US Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD), a globally recognized leader in sustainable development solutions, collaboration and innovation. Current platforms focus on decarbonization, equity, water/ecosystem synergies, and material reuse in support of a circular economy. Among his goals as executive director, Claude is expanding upon the US BCSD’s strong social equity foundation. 

Claude served skillfully as a program director at the US BCSD for two years, following retirement from Shell in Houston. He has more than 40 years of program and project experience in commercial and government sectors, focused on energy, environmental restoration, conservation, and social investment. Before retiring from Shell, he served as External Relations Advisor for Social Investment Environmental Programs in the US. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina A&T State University.

Host:

Lora Shrake, Senior Program Director, Business and Sustainability, Council of the Great Lakes Region

Lora Shrake is the Senior Program Director, Business and Sustainability for the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR), where she is working with a growing network of business leaders to connect across sustainability issues and support the advancement of cross-sector solutions. Some of the programmatic areas include circular economy, water stewardship, and climate change and decarbonization.

She also facilitates CGLR’s monthly business and sustainability webinar series, providing a platform for knowledge sharing and amplifying regional best practice.

About ALUS:

ALUS envisions a future where all farmers and ranchers produce ecosystem services from nature-based solutions alongside food and fibre to help solve the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Through its turn-key farmer-led, community-delivered program, ALUS supports more than 360 community leaders across 39 ALUS communities in helping over 1,700 farmers and ranchers build and actively manage 52,000+ acres of nature-based projects. These projects, like wetlands, grasslands and tree and shrub plantings, help capture carbon, keep lakes, rivers and streams clean, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and better prepare communities for extreme weather events like flood and drought.

ALUS also helps businesses, governments and organizations invest in new acres of nature created on agricultural land to generate positive environmental, economic and social outcomes in the communities where they operate—one acre at a time.