Tellus Mater Foundation

Volans Ventures launched a cutting-edge report on the Biosphere Economy, to examine innovations and new business models responding to global ecological overshoot and changing the way business, investors, and governments value and manage natural capital. Launched on the 22-23 April to an audience of business leaders at the Business 4 Environment conference in Seoul, the report maps a future in which business, finance and politics increasingly take account of natural capital and related forms of value.

The Finance Innovation Lab is a network of professionals hosted by WWF-UK and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) to advance cutting-edge ideas for a financial system that creates economic, social and environmental value. This partnership for change brings together a diverse range of institutions and individuals from business, finance, government and civil society to incubate new projects and initiatives to shift finance to a more sustainable, long-term path. At the launch workshop on 26 March in London, over 110 representatives took part, resulting in a series of innovation groups focused on designing and resourcing new initiatives to take action on specific finance themes.

Green Alliance launched its report The Last Parliament outlining priorities for urgent action on climate change. Funded by Tellus Mater, the report identifies the new Parliament in 2010 as the last window of opportunity to prevent serious, irreversible climate change.

Green Alliance has held two successful climate change workshops with Prospective Parliamentary MPs from the Labour and Conservative parties. The Climate Leadership for Politicians pilot, seed funded by Tellus Mater, has the objective to provide a neutral learning context in which rising Parliamentary leaders can have access to experts from the science, policy, business and finance sectors.

Envision has had another successful year, with the focus on development and expansion of its sustainability work with young people in London, Birmingham and Leeds. An exciting and rewarding "Pitch 4 Change" event was held for the second time in London, where hundreds of young people had the opportunity to pitch their ideas for positive change to a panel of business and community leaders.

The Wilderness Foundation UK Sirius Programme for Environmental Leaders completed a second successful year. This opportunity provides young people with an almost fully funded trail in Scotland where the participants, together with leaders from the WFUK and highly trained and experienced guides explore the impact that we have on the environment. The Sirius trail was followed up at a conference for youth leaders in November, where key and current thinkers in the environment field discussed climate change and other issues.

LEAD International has announced its first group of Tellus Mater Scholarship recipients who will join the LEAD Europe Programme in London, Brussels and Beijing to focus on leadership and climate change. The outstanding group of 10 scholarship winners is made up of talented individuals from across the finance, policy-making, government and business sectors.  

The Lancashire Wildlife Trust's Trailblazer Project held its first film premiere event at the Mitchell & Kenyon Cinema in Preston. The evening was a chance for the students involved in the project to showcase the environmental films they have produced and to celebrate the achievements of the participants during the first year of the project.

The Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s Trailblazer Project held its first Eco Dragons’ Den on Earth Day supported by the Tellus Mater Foundation. A panel of Eco Dragons made up of local businesspeople and environmental leaders saw students pitching for a total of £8000 in prizes to support their local environmental projects.

Envision hosted its first Environmental Dragons' Den on 11 December 2008 at BASH Creations sustainable venue in Shoreditch, East London with support from the Tellus Mater Foundation. Eleven teams of young people from schools across London competed for prize money of up to £1,000 each to realise their vision for sustainable action in their community.

Envision, a charity supported by the Tellus Mater Foundation, has won a prestigious Guardian Charity Award. The awards showcase innovation and excellence by highlighting remarkable achievements that have been made with limited resources.

The Lancashire Wildlife Trust, with support from the Tellus Mater Foundation, has launched its Trailblazer programme targeting the environmental leaders of the future by engaging them in a series of challenges for local environmental action.

The Wilderness Foundation UK hosted its inaugural Wild Leaders Conference on 22 November 2008 at the Club4Climate venue in Kings Cross, London. The conference brought together young leaders and inspirational outdoor guides, environmental activists and social entrepreneurs to focus on how to take practical action to support the environment.