Dear reader,
As we enter July, we look back on a busy and inspiring month for Tecno International.
In June, we had the pleasure of hosting two important events at UCL School of Management: Business & Nature: An Honest Conversation during London Climate Action Week, and the fourth edition of the SustainTech Pitching Competition.
Although different in focus, both events reflected the same message: sustainability is moving from ambition to action.
Whether through understanding nature-related risks or supporting new technologies and start-ups, businesses have a clear opportunity to lead the transition.
London Climate Action Week – Business & Nature: An Honest Conversation
What was the event about?
Hosted in collaboration with the UCL Centre for Sustainable Business, our London Climate Action Week event explored the relationship between business, nature and long-term resilience.
The discussion opened with a keynote from Allegra Fortunato, Director and Head of Strategy at Tecno International London, addressing the $44 trillion boardroom blind spot: the economic value dependent on nature and its services.
Our panel brought together perspectives from finance, investment and conservation, with insights from Isabel Blanco from EBRD, Charlie Anniss from M&G, and Charlie Thefaut from Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Three key messages came out of the room:
- Nature is no longer a side issue for business. More than half of the world’s GDP depends on nature, making nature-related risk an essential question of resilience, competitiveness and long-term survival.
- Investing in nature goes far beyond planting trees. It requires a broader business approach that can support innovation, operational efficiency, company culture and long-term value creation.
- Data turns awareness into action. Understanding how a company depends on and impacts nature is becoming essential to identify risks, prioritise action and move from broad commitments to measurable progress.
What does this mean for your business?
Nature-related risk is no longer distant or abstract. It can affect supply chains, operations, investment decisions, regulation, reputation and resilience.
Companies that act early will be better placed to understand their exposure, identify opportunities and turn nature into a source of long-term value.
That is exactly why we built our nature solutions: to use data to turn nature risk into measurable insights, site by site, mapped directly to TNFD.
SustainTech Pitching Competition
What was the event about?
We were also proud to host the fourth edition of the SustainTech Pitching Competition, once again in collaboration with UCL School of Management.
The event opened with a keynote from Allegra Fortunato, exploring how businesses can help bridge the gap between promising sustainability ideas and real-world impact.
The competition featured ten finalist teams from the UCL community, presenting early-stage ventures tackling environmental and social challenges through technology, innovation and business thinking.
This year, we were delighted to welcome Geovation as a new supporter, bringing expertise in early-stage venture development, geospatial innovation and technical support
A big congratulations to all ten finalist teams and to this year’s winners:
✨ Best Pitch Award: Sinc Energy .
✨ Best Idea Award: Hemp-Based Materials
✨ Audience Choice Award: Airee HUB
Each winning team will receive £1,000, a 12-month business and technical mentorship package from Tecno International, introductions to our business partners, and a 12-month Geovation Venture Development membership.
The competition highlighted three important messages:
- Early-stage ideas need the right support to scale. Funding, mentorship, technical expertise and business networks are essential to help promising solutions move from concept to impact.
- Innovation is central to the sustainability transition. The finalist teams showed how technology, new materials, clean energy and digital solutions can help address complex sustainability challenges.
- Businesses have a role to play in supporting the next generation of solutions. Sustainability progress depends not only on internal action, but also on partnerships between business, academia, investors and entrepreneurs.
What does this mean for your business?
The event showcased one clear message: sustainability is driving innovation, and this momentum shows no sign of slowing.
For businesses, this means innovation can no longer be separated from the sustainability transition. New ideas, data and digital solutions are creating practical ways to improve performance, improve efficiencies reduce risk and unlock new value.
Companies that embrace this shift today will be better positioned to compete, adapt and grow in a rapidly changing market.
From Conversation to Action: How can your business
gain value from sustainability?
Both events reflected the same underlying message: sustainability is no longer separate from business strategy.
Whether through understanding the role of nature in resilience and risk management, or supporting the next generation of SustainTech innovators, businesses have a clear opportunity to lead.
At Tecno International, we support organisations in turning sustainability ambition into practical action, measurable progress and long-term value, through startegic guidance and top of the line solutions.
Contact us today to explore how we can help accelerate your sustainability journey, strengthen your capabilities, and future-proof your business.
“Companies that lead with purpose and strategic insight will be the leaders of the sustainability transition.”