By Bumihillsfoundation [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
This article was originally published on Landscape News.
“Attracting private capital into conservation is a hot topic. Conservation agencies, governments and financial institutions are increasingly joining hands to generate the funds needed to address the world’s environmental challenges.
However, there are also concerns that private investments in nature could have negative effects on local communities. A recent white paper by Athelia and Ecosphere+ addresses these concerns, arguing that involved organizations should hold themselves to the highest standards of accountability to both investors and local communities.
Althelia is an international asset manager focusing on sustainable production and environmental protection. It has a Climate Fund, which invests in projects that mitigate climate change through reduced deforestation and sustainable land use, while offering financial returns on private capital. Ecosphere+ manages the sales and marketing operations for Althelia’s climate fund, aiming to create demand for carbon projects.
Investments needed
Research suggests that the costs of lost ecosystem services from land degradation and desertification are $6.3 to $10.6 trillion per year.
Despite decades of tireless efforts by conservation agencies to protect the environment, natural habitats and biodiversity continue to decline, while the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues to rise. The problems are massive, and solving them costs money.
However, there is a large gap between the funding that is currently available for conservation and the funding that is needed. According to a 2014 report prepared by Credit Suisse, World Wildlife Fund for Nature and McKinsey & Company management firm, annual funding for conservation from non-governmental organizations, donors and governments amounts to around $41 billion, while effective conservation would require $300-400 billion per year…”
Read on at: Landscape News.
