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The scale of private forest land ownership indicates that its managers have significant influence on both the environmental and economic services forests provide. However, the timber investment industry is facing a new set of challenges — challenges that may dictate a turn to a new set of business strategies.

Mangroves in Florida — Mangroves on Florida's Manatee River / Rick Schwartz / CC BY-NC 2.0

Blue carbon could be crucial in facilitating both private and public capital investment in coastal and marine ecosystems. The blue carbon market is, at present, still nascent. Governments and international institutions are revising methods of monitoring carbon to include blue carbon and develop structures to encourage private investment in blue carbon offsets.

Swiss finance giant Credit Suisse has partnered with The World Bank to issue a $28.6m bond aimed at financing the protection and restoration of fresh and saltwater resources and habitats.

Experts in conservation and finance say the reaction shows wildlife conservation finance, for decades largely the preserve of wealthy donors and governments, has massive potential to attract institutional investors, helped by growing public awareness of the delicate state of the planet.

Convincing dealmakers at banks to start viewing their work through a sustainable lens is an uphill battle, say those in sustainable finance roles.

Where will the dollars come from to fund that next conservation practice you want to implement on your farm? Your state department of agriculture might have just the answer — and resources — you need.

Many farmers are adapting and innovating – implementing conservation practices that build soil health and resilience, such as nutrient optimization, cover crops and no-till. Still, there is a growing need for farmers to understand the full financial benefits of these practices and prove their value to ag lenders and other financial partners.

A new report released this week at the Environmental Finance Natural Capital Investing conference in London opens up a new horizon for investors – the world of buying in to nature.

Oliver Withers, ZSL’s head of conservation finance and Aunnie Patton Power, expert in innovative investing and impact finance talk to John Aglionby about the changing landscape of conservation financing.

With support from Conservation International, BHP also integrated forest carbon into its broader climate change strategy, through support for REDD+, the United Nations program for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. This included development of the Forests Bond, a first-of-its-kind bond issued by the IFC.

Conservation Finance Network

Can Non-Timber Strategies Generate Cash for Timberland Investment Management Organizations?

Mainstreaming Blue Carbon to Finance Coastal Resilience

'Blue Finance': World Bank and Credit Suisse Partner for Sustainable Water Bond

How Conservation Investment Could Be a Lifeline for Endangered Species

Six Ways to Fix Sustainable Finance – 6: Incentivize Green Finance

Need Conservation Dollars? Call Your State Ag Commissioner

Three Ways Agricultural Lenders Can Help Farmers Reap Millions in Savings From Conservation

Investing in Nature: No Tragedy of the Horizon

Can Innovative Finance Help Save the World’s Wildlife?

Q&A: The Inside Track on BHP & Conservation International’s Unlikely Partnership