Milano Design Week 2025: LAND and Porsche Consulting present the Nature-Factory Manifesto
In line with the theme of Milano Design Week 2025, "Connected Worlds", LAND and Porsche Consulting joined forces to highlight the transversal and multisectoral impact of the "Nature-Factory Manifesto", unveiled last January in Davos during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. The event conveyed at our LAND Terrace key representatives from both the public and private sectors.
How to move humanity from planet reserves absorber to resource producer? This compelling question drove the main event hosted by LAND, together with Porsche Consulting, during Milano Design Week 2025. Held in cooperation with Green City Italia, the talk featured key representatives from the public and private sector, gathered at the LAND Terrace to share insights aimed at facilitating the shift from traditional green transition strategies to a sustainable economy based on Natural Capital Accounting.
Alongside Andreas Kipar, CEO and co-founder of LAND and member of the World Economic Forum taskforce for Nature-Positive Cities, and Josef Nierling, CEO of Porsche Consulting, the panel included Elena Guarnone, Head of Sustainability of Edison SpA, Evelyn Oberleiter, co-founder and CEO of Terra Institute, Mattia Mor, founder and CEO of Emotion Network, and Alessandro Bottarelli, Global Sustainability Leader at ABB Electrification Smart Power division. The talk was moderated by Silvia Botti, director of the One Works Foundation.
Andreas Kipar and the other panelists: Mattia Mor, Evelyn Oberleiter, Alessandro Bottarelli and Elena Guarnone (©LAND)
The discussion focused on the transformative perspective of the Nature-Factory Manifesto, presented for the first time in Italy after its successful unveiling at the last World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos. This document offers cities and companies a clear roadmap for adopting Nature-positive business models that move beyond compensatory strategies—focused on mitigating harm—to ones that actively regenerate ecosystems, restore biodiversity, and enhance environmental quality over time. By fostering new Nature-positive public-private partnerships, sustainability generates competitive and shared market value, which can be measured and monitored over time through Natural Capital Accounting.
According to recent research by the World Economic Forum, only 5% of global companies have a structured Nature Strategy. With an estimated $700 billion investment gap in nature-based solutions by 2030, integrating Nature into business plans and ESG reports is imperative. It is time to set new goals and rules for accounting natural assets going beyond the scope of local planning.
Andreas Kipar and Silvia Botti, ©LAND
“Nature is the new pillar of economic development for cities and companies. By embracing a Nature-Positive approach, we can ‘connect the worlds’ of society and drive the shift from traditional growth models to tangible, measurable development,” declares Andreas Kipar, CEO and co-founder of LAND. “We believe that Nature is a driver of change. By moving from net-zero loss policies to a people-oriented economy, both private and public entities can leverage the benefits of sustainability for the well-being of present and future generations.”
Josef Nierling, CEO of Porsche Consulting, adds: “Our economy is increasingly centralized in urban areas, where talents and capital are concentrated. Political changes and the demographic crisis are intensifying the competition for these resources. It is in the vital interest of companies to become active contributors to the attractiveness of cities by generating Natural Capital. The advantage of our approach is twofold: maximizing Natural Capital leads to more efficient production processes thanks to new technologies. This represents a paradigm shift that moves us away from concepts of compensation or restitution and is the key to transforming sustainability from a regulatory requirement into a competitive advantage.”
Josef Nierling presenting the Manifesto to the audience, ©Porsche Consulting
“As a company, we have been generating energy for 140 years thanks to Nature. Our mission is to provide ecosystem services, value, culture, and well-being. More and more companies are working with a competitiveness mindset, fostering the connection between Energy and Nature,” adds Elena Guarnone, Head of Sustainability at Edison SpA.
“Our focus has always been on reducing emissions, with particular attention to circularity, in line with our goal of becoming net-zero by 2050. By adopting a multi-stakeholder approach, we can build circular processes that not only reduce resources’ consumption but also help regenerate them. We transform our waste into resources for other processes, reducing environmental impact and increasing efficiency.” concludes Alessandro Bottarelli, Global Sustainability Leader at ABB Electrification Smart Power division.
Beyond the main event dedicated to the Nature-Factory Manifesto, the Wunderkammer, LAND’s exhibition space located at Via Varese 12, will remain open from April 7th to 11th, offering the public an in-depth exploration of the themes and insights presented through interactive activities and workshops.
The most important one will be Design4Future, a multivocal dialogue taking place on April 11 at 17:00 that will bring together experts from various professional fields—architecture, sustainability, education, and technology—to explore the dynamic interplay between nature, technology, innovation, and people.
For more information, visit the official guide at breradesignweek.it.
