Conor Kretsch | Cohab Initiative, Ireland

Conor Kretsch is the founder and director of the Cohab Initiative (Cooperation on Health and Biodiversity), a global initiative addressing the gaps in awareness, policy and action on issues linking biodiversity with human health and well-being. The Initiative provides an international, inter-disciplinary collaborative framework to support existing activities on population health and biodiversity conservation, and to support the implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Conor is an environmental biologist with 25 years’ experience as an advisor to governmental and inter-governmental agencies, NGOs and businesses worldwide. He has worked in several areas of science, policy and practice as a researcher, consultant and educator. Conor has particular expertise in the relationship between biodiversity, ecosystem services and well-being, and has been instrumental in bringing human health into the realm of multi-lateral dialogues on environment and nature conservation. This includes founding and co-ordinating the International Conferences on Health and Biodiversity, in collaboration with UNEP, WHO, FAO, UNDP and UNESCO, and promoting the development of key decisions on health and biodiversity at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) since 2005.

Conor’s research work has included participation in multi-national consortia on natural capital and ecosystem services, including EU-funded projects such as OpenNESS, ESMERALDA, GoGREEN Routes and SELINA. He has contributed to regional assessments under the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and has advised on the development of One Health networks in Europe and worldwide