{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Gail Gallie of THE NAT on their inaugural gala and the need to focus on galvanizing global capital to close the nature finance gap","description":"In Episode 337, Kestrel welcomes Gail Gallie, the founder of THE NAT, to the show. A new convening force for Nature, THE NAT is primarily focused on galvanizing the private capital needed to close the nature finance gap; they just held their inaugural NAT Gala \u201cNight For Nature\u201d in September 2025. From working in advertising to co-leading the creation of the UN Global Goals Campaign, Gail has an extensive background in global advocacy and campaigning.  \u201cI was pretty blown away that you could quantify the amount of money that was needed to fix where we are now to where we need to get to in order to be in harmony and sustainably working with the planet's resources\u2026and then she said the number and it was $711 billion a year. And I was like, OMG that's enormous\u2026And at the same time, this guy next to me lent in and he said, did she just say the nature finance gap is $711 billion? I said, yeah, I had like sad face, like boo, thumbs down, it's loads. And he said, no, he said, that's like not that bad.\u201d -Gail THEME \u2014 BRINGING NATURE BACK INTO THE FASHION FOLD In our last episode, I talked about how this 2-part episode theme \u2013 BRINGING NATURE BACK INTO THE FASHION FOLD \u2013 was inspired by Carry Somers\u2019 new book The Nature Of Fashion and the importance of reminding ourselves that we are Nature and fashion has the potential to be more of a reflection of Nature.  This episode approaches this narrative from an ENTIRELY different lens \u2013 one that involves finance, luxury and creating a spectacle \u2013 which is why I really love the juxtaposition of these two conversations.  If you hadn\u2019t heard yet, there is an actual number that has been calculated \u2013 an amount of money that if invested annually into nature-positive projects \u2013 could halt biodiversity loss and support a reset for the earth, enhancing life on this planet for years to come.  It\u2019s called the nature finance gap \u2013 and according to estimates in 2020, the number was $711 billion dollars. If you\u2019re like me, hearing that number made me sink deeper into my seat, feeling the overwhelm wash even further over me. But turns out, for folks working in the investment space, this number\u2019s not actually that astronomical. It\u2019s somewhat accessible \u2014 according to this week\u2019s guest, if just 2% of global capital is redirected into nature, we could close that gap. So how does that happen? Considering that about 80% of current conservation funding comes from public sources like governments and multilateral institutions \u2013 that leaves a ton of space to galvanize private capital to bridge that gap.  This week\u2019s guest has set out to make this happen by creating a luxurious spectacle in celebration of Nature. Anyone ever heard of The Met Gala? Right. Of course you have.  If you work in sustainability, have you ever felt annoyed that everyone is paying attention to this one over-the-top night? And have you felt irritated  that so much money is being funneled into the tickets and often very unsustainable attire for the evening?  You\u2019re not alone. Yet so many of us still pay attention to it all. It\u2019s a spectacle and we are drawn to it. This week\u2019s guest, Gail, generally shared similar feelings. But a couple of Met Galas back, she shifted her perspective and decided to thinking about copying the concept, instead of fighting it \u2014 creating a sparkly night focused on generating more funding for Nature \u2013 to push toward closing that Nature Finance Gap.  Maybe if we *feel* the power and intrigue of particular cultural moments, we should question how to replicate and reimagine them \u2014 instead of finding ourselves caught in the hamster wheel of complaining about the negative impact they may leave behind. Global Biodiversity Framework THE NAT\u2019s Website THE NAT on LinkedIn Gail Gallie on LinkedIn Get in touch with THE NAT Follow THE NAT on Instagram ","author_name":"Conscious Chatter","author_url":"http:\/\/consciouschatter.com\/","html":"