The Nature Conservancy (TNC) hosted an exclusive virtual event, “How TNC Shapes Policy,” on June 18, offering a comprehensive look at how the organization leverages policy to address conservation and climate crises.
With a focus on bipartisan collaboration, scalable solutions and science-based approaches, the event highlighted TNC’s unique role in shaping policy to ensure a sustainable future.
Moderated by Jan Glendening, TNC’s executive vice president for North America, Caribbean and Micronesia, the panel featured key voices in conservation: Kameran Onley, managing director of North America policy and government relations; Jason Albritton, North America climate mitigation program director; Tom Cors, senior director of legislative affairs; Hazel Wong, managing director of global conservation campaigns; and Jen Morris, TNC’s chief executive officer. A special appearance by Sen. William Frist, TNC’s global board chair, underscored the importance of policy in advancing TNC’s mission.
Panelists acknowledged the increasing urgency of conservation efforts in the face of rising global temperatures and biodiversity loss.
Albritton framed the stakes succinctly: “We have unprecedented challenges in the policy environment right now. No question about it.”
TNC’s work spans local, state, federal and international levels, ensuring its efforts are adaptable and far-reaching.
“We’re non-partisan,” Albritton said. “We will work with anyone who wants to advance our priorities and work with us on what we see as important from a conservation perspective.
TNC’s involvement in major legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act illustrates its ability to influence transformative change. Since the IRA’s passage, the U.S. has seen a 400% increase in manufacturing jobs in the clean energy sector.
Panelists also discussed the need to defend these gains amidst political headwinds.
“We need to be moving at a pace and scale that’s commensurate to the problems that our planet faces, and that means policy,” Morris said.
Central to TNC’s strategy is its commitment to nonpartisan collaboration.
“Nature really does unite us,” Onley said. “Nature brings people together.”
The panel also highlighted the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020, a bipartisan success that permanently reauthorized and funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This achievement, according to panelists, exemplifies how TNC’s decade-long policy efforts can result in lasting conservation impacts.
Looking ahead, TNC is focused on maintaining momentum, securing new policy wins, and raising $36 million to fund its initiatives over the next three years.
“Philanthropic support for policy is absolutely essential to achieve our policy goals as a nature conservancy,” Morris said. “And that’s specifically because policy is actually often hard to fund.”
Despite the challenges, the panel remained optimistic about the future. Frist concluded the discussion by emphasizing the unifying power of nature.
“My greatest hope is that we keep the momentum going, that we don’t walk backwards, that we don’t slow down despite the headlines, despite the news, despite the discouraging stories that we hear every day, we’ve made a ton of progress,” Albritton said.
TNC’s policy-driven approach reflects a belief in actionable solutions and the power of collaboration. With its focus on science, inclusivity and strategic advocacy, the organization continues to lead the way in addressing the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
For more information about TNC’s work in Indiana, visit nature.org.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
 hosted an exclusive virtual event, "How TNC Shapes Policy," on June 18){kind=link}