Conservation Finance Network

As part of California’s cap-and-trade program, major polluters in the state are charged for the carbon emissions they generate. Some of that money is set aside for programs that both promote economic development and cut carbon pollution in disadvantaged communities.

The Capitals Coalition will work collaboratively to ensure that the value that flows from nature, society and people – as well as the economy – collectively inform public and private sector decision-making.

Some of the money raised from aviation offsetting could be plowed into renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. But finance could also be used to protect a lot of ecosystem carbon.

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.

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.

A key goal of the Environmental Markets and Finance Summit, hosted by Forest Trends and AEMI, was to begin mapping out what a coordinated financial strategy could look like, in order to scale up global restoration and sustainable land use dramatically. Environmental markets (the most prominent of which focus on carbon offsets, wetland and habitat credits, sustainably certified products, and water quality offsets and trading) have matured mostly in silos. It is time to start putting the pieces together and cross-pollinating solutions.

As more and more exchange-traded fund (ETF) issuers launch their own ESG products, it's gotten harder for investors to sort the real impact investments from those that make an impact in name only. Enter green bonds. This special category of debt allocates dollars toward specific eco-friendly projects, making it one of the most concrete ways for investors to make an impact with their money.

Having already developed the first parametric insurance policy to insure and enhance the resilience of a coral reef section of the Mesoamerican Reef in Mexico, The Nature Conservancy is now looking to expand the product’s reach into Florida and Hawaii.