Lessons from the friendly fish
There's something hopeful about the start of a new school year. New classrooms. New lessons. New possibilities. Watching my kids join hundreds of other students starting another year reminded me of another form of collective movement found in nature: a school of fish.
A school of fish does not survive because of the strength of any one individual. It survives through awareness, coordination, resilience, and an innate understandi
ng that every member is connected to the health of the whole.
As global leaders, investors, philanthropists, and innovators soon gather for New York Climate Week, the Sustainable Blue Economy Summit and the Canada Investment Summit, the timing feels fitting. Let’s move and learn together, adapt to changing currents, and scale (pun intended) regenerative solutions faster.
1) Move and learn together (and be a little shellfish😉)
Blue Economy 101. Water underpins everything – food systems, trade, tourism, energy production, climate resilience, and community well-being. It is the foundational input for the blue economy, and life on land: the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, livelihoods, resilience, and ecosystem health. The goal should not be to extract our resources haphazardly, but to build value through regeneration.
Power in numbers. By bringing together “fish” of all stripes – investors, scientists, Indigenous knowledge holders, conservation practitioners, businesses, policymakers, and communities – we create a broader field of vision. More eyes on the horizon help us identify risks sooner, spot opportunities faster, and respond more effectively to changing conditions.
Mobilize larger pools of investment. Public and philanthropic capital can help reduce early risks and provide transition finance for larger pools of investment to follow, such as blue bonds, blended finance, and debt-for-nature swaps. With some creativity, we can build the appropriate structures and manage through incumbency.
2) adapt to changing currents
Nature offers powerful lessons in resilience. Fish swimming in formation can easily adapt together. Collectively, they can reduce drag, conserve energy, and go further – especially when moving through rough geopolitical currents!
 | Canada’s Nature Strategy is rooted in resilience. I'm honoured to be among the 15 experts appointed to the recently launched Expert Taskforce on Natural Capital Accounting and Nature Financing that will help formalize how natural capital gets counted and valued. The team is diverse, but not alone. We have many friends, colleagues, and allies helping to advance the best recommendations - and there is protection, efficiency, and better hope for success as a collective. During the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, the Nature Investment Hub will also be hosting this side event: 5X for Nature: Investment Showcase and Roundtable Dialogue. |
3) Scale regenerative solutions faster
Rise of Blue Economy Investment. While SDG 14 remains the most underfinanced of all Sustainable Development Goals, around the world, investor interest in the blue economy is growing, as highlighted in the European Commission’s BlueInvest Investor Report 2026: The Next Wave of Blue Growth.
To keep this investment momentum going, on September 20th, THE NAT GALA will once again kick off New York Climate Week. Under the theme "Water is Life," the event will bring together investors, philanthropists, business leaders, conservationists, scientists, and cultural influencers to shine a spotlight on one of our most precious and increasingly strategic resources: water.
 | Throughout Climate Week, THE NAT will also convene a series of roundtables, private dinners, receptions, and working sessions for cross-sector leaders to discuss specific challenges and opportunities around ocean restoration, nature finance, biodiversity, regenerative business models, and the role of capital in scaling solutions. The goal? Build trust, understanding, and partnerships needed to get more capital flowing to the people and projects restoring nature at the scale the moment demands. Recap to follow! |
 | I'll also be speaking on nature-as-infrastructure at Doconomy's Stage of Impact; joining high-level conversations on oceans, sustainable agriculture, sovereignty, and nature investment; building on Nature Now, a new action-oriented corporate nature agenda; promoting some great solutions like Oath Biome, Soul Forest, Conservation Equity and our New Co [still in stealth, stay tuned!]. |
As our children return to learning about the world around them, let's all continue to learn from nature. In a world that often feels fragmented, let's move together, adapt to changing currents, and scale regenerative solutions faster to improve the health of the whole.
After all, as Jack Johnson told us 20 years ago and the fish keep reminding us, we're Better Together.
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