For his key role in founding the Hoge Kempen National Park, Ignace received the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2008, also known as the Green Nobel Prize. “That prize set everything in motion for me. I suddenly got access to a global network, which I could never have developed otherwise. I’m relying on that network to reach my goal, which is helping to create a better living environment.”

“I’m relying on my network to reach my goal, which is helping to create a better living environment.”

Alongside that network, several inspirational meetings determined his path. Ignace: “At the global conference for nature, I once met Edward O. Wilson, one of the world’s greatest scientists since Darwin. He told me: “The most dangerous world view is the world view of those who have not viewed the world.” That inspired me immensely. You need to have a thorough understanding of the global context to be able to change things locally. And that’s exactly what I’m trying to do with the Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland.”

Ignace likes to inspire others by telling his story at conferences. “Flanders is a particularly interesting location for conferences, because we’re in the heart of Europe. The distances are short, which means you can keep your carbon footprint light. There is certainly a place for digital conferences, but they won’t replace face-to-face meetings. That’s why it’s important to be able to travel to a conference as sustainably as possible.”

“There is certainly a place for digital conferences, but they won’t replace face-to-face meetings.”

“The message I want to put forward at conferences is ‘think big’. In Flanders, so many milestones have been achieved that have a global impact. Just consider the mobile schools that Arnoud Raskin developed. Or the work by Bart Weetjens, who trained rats to sniff out landmines in war zones. The little boy in me wants to save the world, and he gives me the energy to keep reaching for my own milestones. I’m very happy to pass that energy on to others.”