Prime Minister’s Office

Cross-fertilisation is interaction or interchange, as between cultures, fields of activity, or knowledge, that is mutually beneficial and productive. Together with the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Environment we have started to explore how biodiversity could be transformed into all-of-government ownership. How could this cross-fertilisation look between the ministries as well as within their agencies, institutes, and service providers?

This blog is about an initiative by a multidisciplinary group of students to address biodiversity issues in Finland in cooperation with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of the Environment. We recognize the urgency of the biodiversity crisis and the complexity of governance structures. While we also recognize that there are time constraints to finding quick solutions, we are committed to considering proposals to address the challenge. The group’s approach involves conducting research, mapping governance systems, and engaging with relevant stakeholders. We emphasize the importance of understanding the different perspectives on biodiversity that exist to reach a common understanding and address the problem effectively. The team includes people with backgrounds in design, architecture, and sustainable development, reflecting a holistic approach to problem-solving.

This blog post is the first post by Group 1B on their project on biodiversity policy coherence at an interdepartmental level at the Ministry of the Environment. It covers background reading, a roundtable with external partners and the development of a research agenda.