Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can only be achieved if we break departmental, and generational, silos. On April 3–4, 2025, the Vatican Youth Symposium helped do just that. Co-organised by PASS and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Youth (SDSN Youth), the invitation-only event gathered over 65 young leaders and global experts from across sectors and regions for an intergenerational dialogue under the theme: “Voices of Change: Sparking Hope with Sustainable Solutions.”
Now a cornerstone forum for youth-driven action and multi-stakeholder collaboration, the Symposium addressed a wide range of urgent global issues, including climate resilience, sustainable development, social equity, and ethical governance. This year’s programme featured six dynamic sessions and a hands-on design-thinking workshop facilitated by Generali, one of the largest global insurance and asset management providers, aimed at equipping participants with tools for innovation and systems thinking.
Daniela Rizzi (ICLEI Europe) represented NetworkNature, contributing to the dialogue by showcasing the initiative’s role in connecting and mobilising the broader Nature-based Solutions community. She introduced a suite of resources available through NetworkNature+, including the NbS case study finder, the NbS Task Forces, and the six NetworkNature policy themes, all supporting the integration of NbS across diverse policy domains.
The importance of advancing a nature-positive economy was also highlighted, with an emphasis on shifting from an extractivist model to a restorative economic approach, where value chains actively regenerate ecosystems and contribute to long-term socio-ecological resilience, as it’s being investigated by the GoNaturePositive! project.
Notable moments included exchanges with global leaders such as Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Cardinal Peter Turkson, Monika Froehler, and Sinead Bovell, underscoring a shared commitment to multilateralism, inclusion, and social innovation.
Nisaa Jetha, is a strategic advisor and legal architect supporting investment teams, capital allocators, institutions, governments and corporates in designing future-facing economic models. As the Founder and Curator of Impact-for-SDGs, she leads work that bridges legal design, capital markets, and regenerative strategies. Her background spans private equity, public policy, and multi-sector development focusing on building structures that reinforce long-term institutional resilience. She has worked with governments, global industries, and multilateral bodies to create tailored legal and investment models, enabling funds, brands, and platforms to evolve their operating structures while embedding measurable impact into their work. Her portfolio includes the design of proprietary financial frameworks, legal architecture for blended capital models, and strategic advisory across sectors including private equity, energy, regenerative tourism, and the creative economy. Nisaa is a member of the Rolling Stone Culture Council and the Entrepreneur Leadership Network, bringing a cross-sector lens to the evolving role of law and finance in shaping future-ready economies. Through her legal design and strategic advisory work, she is helping to lay the institutional foundations for a nature-based economy.
“Valuing nature as an asset class is becoming central to long-term market stability. My work spans capital allocation, legal structuring, and government advisory—focused on building mechanisms that channel investment toward ecosystems and durable economic outcomes.” — Nisaa Jetha
Discussions also covered topics such as education and skills for sustainable development, inclusive urban transformation, human rights and environmental stewardship, and scaling innovation and entrepreneurship for systemic change. Additional panels explored climate action, ethical governance, and youth-driven leadership beyond 2030, with powerful contributions from emerging changemakers like Deqa Abukar and Nisaa Jetha.
As speaker Deqa Abukar reminded attendees: “Those closest to the problems are the ones closest to the solutions.”
Echoing the collaborative spirit, a quote from Pope Francis accompanied the gathering throughout: “The future does have a name… and its name is hope.”
NetworkNature and Impact-for-SDGs are grateful to the organisers for the opportunity to contribute and look forward to continued collaboration with this vibrant global community of changemakers.
A powerful call to action closed the Symposium, urging continued collaboration on climate, inequality, and sustainable development. The event demonstrated how much progress emerges when youth-driven energy meets institutional support. Now the challenge is to translate those insights into concrete projects and community impact. SDSN Youth will sustain the momentum by publishing key recommendations from the event and showcasing them at forthcoming forums.