Our Members
Marie-Antoinette Micheli
President of the Swiss Green Alliance
is committed to the ecological transition and the promotion of regenerative agriculture that reconciles biodiversity, climate, and social justice.
Holding a Master’s degree in Global Change and Sustainability and a Bachelor’s degree in Geosciences, Political Science, and Environmental Science, providing her with solid expertise in sustainable development and international environmental policies.
As the founder of POLLINIS Europe, she advocated at the EU level to accelerate the agroecological transition.
As a member of Giving Women, she supports the rural permaculture project Woman Smile Uganda.
Anthony Gargioni
General Secretary of the Swiss Green Alliance
Convinced that Switzerland has a decisive role to play in the climate transition, he became involved in this project alongside his studies. Above all, he wants to preserve and regenerate our local biodiversity.
Initiative Committee
Elise Buckle
President and CEO of Climate Bridges
Co-founders of SHE Changes Climate and founder of SHE Builds Bridges. Professor at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies for the Executive Programme Graduate Institute of Geneva and also teaches Sustainability, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Glion Institute of Business Education. She has been advising various organizations at the United Nations on climate change, nature-based solutions and leadership training for peace and climate diplomacy. Member of the Club of Rome, International Gender Champion and co-lead of the climate impact group.
Karlee Schnyder
Director of REALFOOD SYSTEMS
She promotes agroecology and local methods of food production, specifically working with RFS partners towards ending the entrenched industrial-based animal agriculture and industrial fishing and aquaculture systems. She is also a youth ally, helping young emerging professionals navigate the sticky transition into job readiness. Karlee further serves as the Food Systems Lead and Board Member with RFS partner Climate-Sustainability.org, bringing food systems solutions into climate initiatives. Finally, Karlee is passionate about always considering ocean health in all of her work. She is a board member of Climate Bridges.
Prof. Charling Tao
is CNRS director of research emerita in the Center of Particle Physics Marseille, France and emerita professor of cosmology, Department of Astronomy, Tsinghua University, China.
A long term activist, she has (co-) founded Ecosystem Restoration Communities, and the Weathermakers for a Sinai (re)greening.
She is an ambassador for the Egyptian Center for Desert Research and Habiba community in Nuweiba, Sinai.
Prof. Philippe C. Forêt
Program Director at the Center for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (Zurich), and Research Associate at the University of Basel.
A specialist in the environmental history of Asia, his projects combine innovative approaches and interdisciplinary collaborations. Published in four languages and recognized in eleven countries, he has been elected Fellow by several Institutes for Advanced Study (Uppsala, Nantes, and Bristol) as well as by the Rachel Carson Center in Munich. He holds a PhD from the University of Chicago.
Prof. Ernst Zürcher
Forestry Engineer and Wood Science Expert. Professor Emeritus at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, Ernst Zürcher is a recognized expert on forests and trees. Author of Les arbres, entre visible et invisible, he combines scientific rigor with ecological sensitivity to foster a deeper connection between humans and nature.
Dr. Benedicte Deryckere
Circular Economy & Business Model Transformation Expert. Bénédicte Deryckere is passionate about bridging the gap between business and society. She champions a fundamental shift in economic models, moving away from mere quantitative growth toward sustainability, responsibility, and shared value. As an independent expert for the Solar Impulse Foundation, MassChallenge, and Your Public Value, she is dedicated to driving innovative, practical solutions to today’s climate, social, and environmental challenges.
Consultants
Dr Elena Soriano
Consultant for support programs for innovation, research, and development projects, Elena is from Málaga, Spain, and has lived in Vienna, Austria, for over 20 years. A biologist with a PhD in genetic engineering and biotechnology, she has published several studies on optimizing enzyme production in recombinant bacteria and bioreactors. She has collaborated on various projects in Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Latin America, and the Middle East.
She was a pioneer in analyzing changes in phytoplankton gradients due to pollution and climate warming in the Alboran Sea (Department of Ecology at the University of Málaga), the effects of climate change on bark beetle proliferation and forest management in Central European forests (Forsttechnik Langschlag, Austria), and the impact of genetic engineering on agriculture (Arche Noah NGO).
She is an expert in ecological pesticides for fruit trees (Bioferm, DSM Group), achieving certifications for the production and international marketing of biotechnological products (Baxter, Takeda), and preparing environmental reports (Austrian Federal Environmental Agency) in both German and English.
Nicolas Blain
Founder of the first French-speaking platform dedicated to the Rights of Nature, Nicolas Blain co-developed Reforest’Action for 10 years.
This social enterprise has since become one of the leading players in reforestation in Europe and worldwide. Nicolas actively contributed to its growth by building strategic partnerships and collaborations with the private sector, international organizations (UN, EU, World Economic Forum…), as well as NGOs and research institutes.
Author of several publications on forest issues, such as the report “Our Future is Called Forest”, he has also contributed to the FAO’s Forest Communicators Network. A strong advocate of multi-stakeholder dialogue, Nicolas co-founded and co-organized the Global Forest Summit twice, an international event that brought together high-level leaders such as John Kerry, former U.S. Presidential Special Envoy for Climate, Juliette Biao, Director of the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat, and King Charles III.
Convinced that inner transition—promoted by the IPCC, the Club of Rome, and IPBES—is one of the keys to ecological transition, complementary to nature-based solutions, Nicolas recently joined the ecology division of Initiative Mindfulness France, which advocates for mindfulness meditation among policymakers.
Matthieu Mehuys
Landscape architect and regenerative development expert, Matthieu is from Flanders, Belgium, and works internationally from his base in the Azores. He holds a Master of Engineering in Landscape Architecture and is the author of the award-winning book The 12 Universal Laws of Nature. With a background rooted in his family farm, he combines ecological design with a deep understanding of biodiversity and soil health.
After leaving the corporate sector, Matthieu traveled globally to study gardens and eco-projects, from the Americas to Africa. He now leads a consulting firm that designs low-maintenance, high-impact green spaces for private clients and institutional projects in Canada, Europe, and beyond.
Matthieu specializes in regenerative gardens, edible landscapes, and nature-based solutions. He also teaches online masterclasses, speaks internationally, and appears in a global health documentary (The Cure: An Inside Job) as an expert on the link between soil and human well-being.