Conservation Finance Network

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.

The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership recently introduced an Interactive Landowner Resources Tool. By compiling over 300 landowner assistance programs in a single, user-friendly location, this product makes it easier for you to find voluntary, state and federal landowner assistance programs. In addition, the updated website includes interactive GIS maps and information pertaining to local Sentinel Landscape events, project highlights and funding data.

"The Salazar Center for North American Conservation at Colorado State University is seeking proposals for a $100,000 incentive prize, to fund meaningful change in the field of conservation. The Connectivity Challenge is the first prize of its kind. The challenge was announced by CSU President Joyce McConnell during the first Salazar Center International Symposium on Conservation Impact in September 2019 in Denver."

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is awarding about $12.5 million in grants to support the development of innovative systems and technologies for private lands conservation. The funding is provided through the Conservation Innovation Grants program, which is funding the future of agriculture and conservation through grants to organizations and universities that are developing the next generation of tools and technologies to boost conservation on agricultural lands.

Investing in Nature: Private Finance for Nature-Based Resilience aims to capture qualitative measurement of the positive momentum being built with market-based solutions to protect and improve natural capital. The points of view collected from investors, deal makers, intermediaries and governments reveal what is working well, and in some cases, not so well.

Terra Silva, a new $90 million fund of funds, will help eight to 10 investment fund managers prove that sustainable tropical forests are a profitable bet for commercial investors.

BP Ventures has invested $5 million in Finite Resources, parent company of Finite Carbon, which is a U.S.-based forest carbon management firm. The investment will enable Finite Carbon to launch voluntary carbon offset programs for businesses for sustainable forest management.