Wilderlands has returned from the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 in Dalian, China, where global leaders gathered to explore the innovations, partnerships and business models needed to respond to a rapidly changing world.
The Annual Meeting of the New Champions, often referred to as “Summer Davos”, brings together entrepreneurs, business leaders, policymakers, academics and civil society from around the world to discuss the next wave of economic growth and global innovation.
For Wilderlands, the meeting provided an opportunity to connect with global peers, investors, corporate leaders and nature-focused organisations, while also testing how biodiversity and natural capital are being discussed within broader conversations on infrastructure, technology, resilience and economic competitiveness.
What is WEF UpLink?
Wilderlands attended the meeting as part of the World Economic Forum’s UpLink community, following its selection as a Top Innovator in the global Biodiversity Challenge.
UpLink is the World Economic Forum’s innovation platform, designed to support early-stage entrepreneurs and purpose-led organisations working on solutions to major global challenges.
Through UpLink, innovators are connected with global networks, events, partnerships and opportunities to help scale their work across areas such as climate, nature, water, energy, food systems and infrastructure.
Wilderlands was previously recognised through the UpLink Biodiversity Challenge for its work creating a transparent and accessible pathway for businesses and individuals to protect high-value biodiversity through Biological Diversity Units.
Why Wilderlands was at AMNC
The theme of AMNC 2026 was “Innovating at Scale”, a timely focus for Wilderlands as the organisation continues to build practical ways for businesses to invest in measurable, long-term biodiversity outcomes.
As companies face growing expectations around nature, climate, supply chains and sustainability, there is increasing demand for credible models that connect investment with real places, transparent reporting and long-term stewardship.
Wilderlands’ attendance at AMNC created opportunities to build on existing relationships and explore new conversations with organisations including The Nature Conservancy, Google, UNSW and KPMG.
It also provided a chance to understand how nature-based solutions are being framed within adjacent sectors, particularly infrastructure, technology, data, energy, water and the built environment.
Nature is Infrastructure
One of the most important sessions attended by Wilderlands was a roundtable discussion titled “Nature is Infrastructure”, featuring Fortescue Founder and Executive Chairman Andrew Forrest, Roche Vice-Chairman André Hoffmann and other global leaders.
The session explored a central idea that is becoming increasingly relevant to business: nature is not separate from the economy, it is the foundation that supports it.
Healthy ecosystems underpin water security, food production, energy systems, supply chains, community resilience and long-term economic stability. As biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation accelerate, the risks are no longer only environmental. They are commercial, social and structural.
The discussion also challenged some of the current barriers to progress, including perverse subsidies, short-term incentives, policy failure and the overuse of “net” language where real-world outcomes are required.
For Wilderlands CEO and Co-founder Ash Knop, the session captured a shift already emerging across corporate nature markets.
“The conversation around biodiversity is starting to move beyond sustainability teams and into the language of competitiveness, productivity, resilience and long-term value creation,” said Knop.
“If nature is infrastructure, then investing in it is not charity. It is asset management.”
Key observations from the week
Across the meeting, several themes stood out.
The first was the growing recognition that biodiversity loss is an economic issue, not only an environmental one. Nature is increasingly being connected to water security, food systems, energy transition, supply chains and infrastructure planning.
The second was the importance of trust. There remains a high level of scrutiny around environmental claims and financial mechanisms that appear disconnected from tangible outcomes. The strongest models are likely to be those that can demonstrate real, measurable and place-based impact.
The third was the role of data and transparency. Better data is needed not only to measure nature, but to help businesses understand risk, compare options, make decisions and communicate outcomes with confidence.
The fourth was the emergence of digital infrastructure as a potential area of focus. Data centres and AI infrastructure are placing growing pressure on energy, water and land use. This raises important questions about how these sectors can contribute more meaningfully to nature, not simply reduce harm.
What comes next
For Wilderlands, AMNC 2026 reinforced the importance of staying connected to global platforms that are helping shape the future of nature-positive innovation.
Through the World Economic Forum and UpLink, Wilderlands hopes to continue contributing to conversations that move biodiversity from the margins of sustainability into the centre of business, investment and infrastructure decision-making.
For Wilderlands, the message from AMNC was clear: the global conversation around nature is shifting.
Biodiversity is no longer being discussed only as a moral or environmental issue. It is increasingly being recognised as essential infrastructure for the economy, for communities and for long-term business resilience.
That shift matters.
Because if nature underpins the systems businesses rely on, then protecting and restoring it must become part of how those businesses plan, invest and grow.
