Thijs runs his own sustainability consultancy since 2019. He has 11 years of experience in policy development, due diligence regulations and certifications, especially in palm oil. He has written and contributed to studies and reports for organisations such as the RSPO and IUCN and helped develop Remediation and Compensation Plans for oil palm growers. He has also organised successful government to government dialogues and conferences as part of the secretary of the Amsterdam Declaration Partnership.

At ICOPE, Thijs represents IUCN NL for whom he has written a new report called “Boosting Biodiversity: a visual guide to promote biodiversity values in oil palm landscapes”. The guide aims to inform and motivate stakeholders that improving biodiversity in oil palm is possible and gives practical examples on how to maximise biodiversity in oil palm landscapes. The guide will be launched during the conference.