How can we implement local nature-based climate solutions at the community level? In a world where decision-making spaces are dominated by centralised governors, this panel will discuss how local actors can be reintroduced into the conversation, shaping nature-based climate solutions from design to execution.
Our Speakers:
Ricardo Calçado: Founder of Onda Solidária, a grassroots organisation advancing community-led social and environmental initiatives in Brazil. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, he began his career in the UK before dedicating himself to social action, founding Children’s Aid and later Onda Solidária to support underserved communities through education, sport, and citizenship projects. Drawing on experience across more than 30 countries, Ricardo champions locally driven solutions that empower communities to shape their own responses to social and environmental challenges.
Susan Buckingham and Tony Booth: Co-founders of Friends of the Cam, Susan Buckingham and Tony Booth set the organisation up in 2020 to campaign on behalf of the river Cam and its tributaries - part of a network of globally rare and precious chalk streams - to be free from pollution and over-abstraction and unsustainable growth in the surrounding area which exacerbates both.
Ben Greig: Community conservationist and co-founder of On the Verge Cambridge, a volunteer-led initiative creating pollinator-friendly habitats across the city. He has helped establish wildflower meadows in parks and schools, restore rare chalk grasslands, and develop bee and beetle habitats, all while campaigning against herbicide use. Actively involved with Friends of Logan’s Meadow, Pesticide-Free Cambridge, and local biodiversity events like Bioblitz, Ben combines hands-on habitat work with community engagement to protect and celebrate urban and peri-urban ecosystems.
Dr Jordana Ramalho: Holds a PhD in Human Geography and Urban Studies and an MSc in Urbanisation and Development from the London School of Economics. She specialises in inclusive urban planning, social development, and community resilience, with expertise in gender, disaster risk management, and participatory approaches to poverty alleviation. With over a decade of international experience across Canada, Latin America, East Africa, and the UK, she combines research, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement to design locally grounded, transformative solutions for resilient and equitable urban communities.
Dr Pascale Hofmann: Associate Professor at UCL’s Development Planning Unit and Joint Programme Leader of the MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development. She holds an EngD and MRes in Urban Sustainability and Resilience and an MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development from UCL, as well as a Diploma in Landscape Planning and Open Space Development from the University of Hannover. An urban environmental planner and researcher, she focuses on sustainable and equitable infrastructure and service provision in urban and peri-urban contexts, exploring how policy and everyday practices shape resilience and climate adaptation in both Europe and the global south.
