About Us
Knowing & Acting is a sustainable development consulting firm specializing in supporting companies in respecting human rights and protecting the ocean. It was founded in 2024 by Nathalie Komatitsch.
Nathalie Komatitsch is a graduate of Sciences Po (Paris Institute of Political Studies), certified in Human Rights Impact Assessments by the Danish Institute for Human Rights (Dublin session, April 2024), and a graduate of the "Advanced Maritime Studies Session" of the Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies (FMES, Toulon, France).
Nathalie Komatitsch began her career at the French National Employers' Council (now MEDEF). She then joined major international groups such as Elf Aquitaine and TotalEnergies. For over twenty years, she held management positions in France and abroad, including Human Rights Director as well as various roles in negotiating contracts and international partnerships.
For Nathalie Komatitsch, linking respect for human rights and ocean protection was a natural fit. Beyond its role as a reservoir of biodiversity and its contribution to climate regulation, the ocean is a source of food and economic resources for billions of people. Protecting the ocean is therefore an integral part of respecting human rights.
To learn more, read the report "The Ocean and Human Rights: Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment", December 2024, by UN Special Rapporteur Astrid Puentes Riaño.
Most recently Nathalie Komatitsch contributed to the creation of the Space4Ocean (S4O) alliance launched in June 2025 at the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC). This alliance, initiated by CNES (the French National Centre for Space Studies), offers an innovative and inclusive approach to strengthening international cooperation in the fight to preserve the oceans, using space technologies. The primary beneficiaries of this approach are the UN and developing countries impacted by the effects of climate change and lacking sufficient space agencies, teams or means.
To learn more, explore this project in detail.
Knowing & Acting offers a full range of services to help companies respect human rights. Our solutions are tailored to the size and maturity of each organization.
They are based on international standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
For each human rights impact assessment, Knowing & Acting brings together a team of experts who apply the methodology of the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR).
As part of its services, Knowing & Acting customizes and delivers human rights training. These tailor-made programs combine and enrich the company's existing resources with Knowing & Acting's expertise.
They are designed to precisely adapt to diverse audiences and their level of exposure to human rights risks:
- Executive Committees;
- Management Committees;
- Headquarters;
- Subsidiaries and field teams.
To determine which groups to train first, Knowing & Acting uses a prioritization matrix from the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR). This matrix, complemented by interactions with the company and the analysis of its various professions, allows to create a detailed and strategic training roadmap.
Knowing & Acting, experienced in international partnerships, breaks down silos, between organizations (businesses, universities, non governmental organizations, etc.) and within large structures.
In doing so, it fosters the exchange of perspectives and experiences: professions, countries, and organizations that are not accustomed to collaborating, find themselves united and committed to the same objective.
Knowing & Acting is a member of the Ocean & Human Rights Platform jointly created by the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), an international think tank and action network based in England, and the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights, a Norwegian foundation based in Bergen.
Knowing & Acting regularly participates in international roundtables on business and human rights as well as on ocean protection. To learn more, see our articles.
Knowing & Acting operates on five continents.
It has recently carried out projects in Papua New Guinea, France, Norway, Mozambique, Uganda, Tanzania, and Myanmar (formerly Burma).
The mission of Knowing & Acting
To contribute to the sustainability, preservation, conservation, and protection of the ocean.
- To contribute to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.”
- Beyond SDG 14, to participate in any impactful project contributing to the preservation, conservation, and protection of the ocean.
To contribute to the continuous improvement of respect for human rights, by providing services to companies committed to their journey of improvement and to the international organizations that support them.
The Values of Knowing & Acting
Knowing & Acting, Serving People and the Planet
Respect for Human Rights
Businesses are key players in respecting human rights, a responsibility enshrined in international standards.
We must act.
Protecting and Restoring the Ocean
The world's ocean covers 71% of the Earth's surface. Its value is immeasurable, but it is vulnerable and increasingly threatened by human activities.
We must act.