CWZ Climate & Nature: Achieving Restoration at Scale | Zurich, 2026

At the opening of Climate Week Zurich 2026, Nik Gowing moderated a flagship session focused on one of the most persistent challenges in climate action: how to move from knowledge to implementation at scale.

In an informal workshop environment it brought together leaders from science, finance and grassroots delivery to explore the interconnected realities of climate change. The conversation centered around nature degradation, livelihoods and poverty. Throughout was the nagging issue: why progress so often stalls despite clear solutions.

What we achieved

Nik Gowing moderated s cross-sector discussion designed to surface the structural barriers to scaling restoration. Drawing on insights from Tom Crowther, Minni Jain, Sheeba Sen and Rebecca Berlinger, the session examined why capital, coordination and delivery remain misaligned.

A central theme that emerged was that restoration is already happening, but largely under-recognised and underfunded. The session explored how Community-led initiatives are delivering impact on the ground and highlighted that improving livelihoods is not separate from climate action, but one of its most powerful drivers. Many proven solutions already exist but struggle to access the capital needed to scale.

The conversation also exposed a deeper challenge. The disconnect between where capital flows and where impact is created. Contributors pointed to the need to rethink how trust is built, how value is recognised, and how financial systems can better support long-term, community outcomes.

Without this, progress risks remaining fragmented, with implementation lagging behind ambition.

Impact

The session set the tone for Climate Week Zurich . It reframed restoration not as a future aspiration, but as a present reality that requires collaboration, positive support and recognition.

Thinking the Unthinkable’s role ensured that the conversation moved beyond familiar narratives to address the harder systemic questions. The result was a more grounded and open dialogue. Above all it reinforced that meaningful progress will depend on cross-sector collaboration.