In 2020, governments will hopefully agree a new vision for nature and people, that tackles the linked sustainability challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and human development in an integrated way.

But how can high-level aspirations be translated into real, and timely, change on the ground, where complex ecological and social processes intertwine to constrain and derail the change needed for sustainability?

Using examples from her work in conservation, Professor Milner-Gulland will explore how we could put more effective institutions and incentives in place, so that individual behaviour and the decisions of companies and governments are more aligned with both ecological sustainability and improving human well-being.

Professor Milner-Gulland’s examples focus mostly on wildlife exploitation and rural people living in low-income tropical countries, but the lessons are universal.

Given the challenging times we live in, it may seem perverse to claim that optimism is both necessary and warranted, but Professor Milner-Gulland will end by making this case.