Get to know the ENABLE partners

Commonland

 Commonland is an internationally operating Dutch organisation that realises large-scale landscape restoration with local farmers, land users, and experts, based on a holistic approach that includes the development of sustainable business cases.  Its mission is to contribute to a large-scale landscape restoration economy, aligned with international policies and guidelines. In this way, Commonland contributes to the Bonn Challenge, a global effort to restore 150 million hectares of the world’s degraded and deforested lands by 2020.  Commonland consists of a foundation and two impact companies: 4 Returns Projects and 4 Returns Partners. The foundation guards and develops the 4 returns restoration approach and works in close cooperation with scientific institutions, business schools, and experts from non-governmental organisations. 4 Returns Projects develops local companies’ and farmers’ initiatives that grow landscape restoration projects. They work on sustainable business cases with different stakeholders in the field, taking all interests into account. To build on their present strengths, these local companies partner with existing initiatives. 4 Returns Partners provides advisory services to third parties that wish to implement long-term restoration projects. This way, Commonland shares its lessons with others who also want to accelerate the process towards the establishment of a restoration industry.

CEBAS-CSIC

The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is the largest public research institution in Spain and the 3rd largest in the EU. Its mission is to develop and promote multidisciplinary scientific research to contribute to advancing knowledge and economic, social and cultural development, as well as to train staff and advise public and private entities on this matter. It encompasses everything from basic research, the transfer of knowledge and the productive sector and society. CSIC institutes collaborate intensively with (inter)national universities in the research and training of future generation researchers and practitioners. Its multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral research activity is organised around eight scientific areas covering issues from humanities and social sciences to agriculture, food sciences, and natural resources. CEBAS-CSIC, the center for applied soil science and biology, is a multidisciplinary center advancing applied research in the fields of Agricultural Sciences, Food Science and Technology, and Natural Resources. CEBAS-CSIC is specialized in transdisciplinary research in semiarid areas on the development and assessment of sustainable land management strategies contributing to food security, food quality, restoration and protection of (agro)ecosystems. The objective is to support regional, national and international policy development to protect human well-being and solve urgent problems such as water scarcity, environmental sustainability, food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation.

United Nations University

 Land Restoration Training Programme

United Nations University (UNU) is a global think tank and postgraduate teaching organisation. The mission of UNU is to contribute, through collaborative research and education, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of the United Nations. The Land Restoration Training Programme (UNU-LRT) located in Reykjavík, Iceland works on achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal No. 15 which includes achieving land degradation neutrality and promoting sustainable land management, whereas the Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) in Hamilton, Canada works on ensuring sustainable economic growth through management of water resources and promotion of ecosystem health.  UNU-LRT follows a unique model that combines biophysical knowledge, people’s skills and leadership skills in its training activities which equips fellows with appropriate knowledge, courage and confidence to act on land based challenges.  UNU-INWEH is not a partner of ENABLE, but its support in the preparation phase has been instrumental to the success of the consortium.

Nova School of Business and Economics

Established in 1978 as part of Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE) has become one of the leading European schools in Economics, Finance, and Management, offering Undergraduate, Masters, PhD, MBA, and Executive Education programs. It is one of the few business schools in the world with triple-crown accreditation awarded by the three principal international institutions (EQUIS-EFMD, AMBA, and AACSB1), and its Masters, Executive Education, and MBA programs are present in the main international rankings. Additionally, the school remains the only business school in Portugal to hold the coveted 5 Palms distinction confirming its category of “Universal Business School”, among the top 100 business schools in the world.