New Release !
Today The Ocean Finance Handbook has been published by Friends of Ocean Action. The handbook is a guide to support an increase in finance flowing towards the sustainable blue economy, offering insights into the range of funding options for sustainable ocean-based industry and marine conservation. Check it out by following this link!
From the Conservation Finance Network
“The contribution of marine and coastal ecosystems in carbon sequestration, or “blue carbon,” has only recently begun to gain traction in market-based ecosystem management discussions.
At present, existing methods of measuring and monitoring carbon offsets are geared towards terrestrial ecosystems, and do not account for the carbon stored in coastal, marine or wetland soils and biomass.
There are a number of mechanisms in place to facilitate investment in terrestrial carbon through regulatory markets which could be adapted to include blue carbon.”
The full article is available on the Conservation Finance Network website.
MedPAN has launched a Call for Small Projects to support the actions led in Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the Mediterranean. The Call for Small Projects aims to reinforce MPA management. Please note that the call has specific eligibility rules. You'll find all the details below.
The MedPAN Calls for Small Project is open to:
Organisations that are in charge of the management of MPAs;
Other organisations (NGOs, private companies, scientific institutions, etc.) working with authorities that are responsible for the management of Mediterranean MPAs.
The Call targets co-management approaches for MPAs.
The call is only open to the following six countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey and Albania.
The MPA management authorities and the organisations who wish to participate will need to send the Grant Application Form to the MedPAN Secretariat before February 5, 2020.
You will find all the details regarding participation eligibility, the type of projects that are required and the selection process in the Rules document of the thematic Call for Small Projects.
To submit a grant request:
Carefully read the Rules and assess whether your structure and project are eligible.
Download the Rules of the thematic Call for Small Projects on MPA co-management approaches.
Fill in the Grant Application Form.
Download the Grant Application Form.
Send it with all the necessary documents to projet@medpan.org by February 5, 2020 midnight.
Don't hesitate to contact us for any question about this Call for Small Projects.
This Call for Small Projects is made possible through the support of the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
View the full article here
From Conservation Strategy Fund:
Natalia Sanin | December 16, 2019
The Pacific Ocean Finance Fellowship Program (POFP) held its second training workshop in November in Nadi, Fiji. The twelve participating Fellows met with and heard from many local and international experts on ocean finance over the five-day event. They also had the opportunity to discuss their projects with one another, lead small discussion groups, meet with their project mentors, and practice presenting their work. After the workshop, the Fellows attended and presented their projects at the Pacific Ocean Finance Conference.
The POFP Fellows already have deep knowledge about ocean issues in their own countries and sectors, and this fellowship program is helping them learn and apply finance solutions in practical ways. The second Fellowship workshop was a reaffirmation of the Fellows’ commitment to improving ocean health and governance in their countries. The workshop focused on themes related to the Fellows’ projects, including regional ocean agreements, national financial planning, tourism economics, community finance, marine conservation agreements, fisheries management, and business entrepreneurship. Fellows appreciated having peers from diverse backgrounds to help tackle their project challenges and give guidance on project implementation. The workshop also provided a safe space to share experiences with and expectations of regional management of ocean resources and seascapes.
“The most relevant, efficient and effective way to articulate and communicate the finance option initiatives that are available around the region. Views and ideas shared among the fellows are an enormous help.” – Fa’aui Ekapali-Telii, Tuvalu
During the Pacific Ocean Finance Conference the following week, the Fellows presented their projects to an international audience and described their efforts to gather and analyze useful information to complement their personal and institutional efforts to improve the state of the oceans. It became clear that the Fellows’ projects are already contributing to national and regional efforts to improve ocean health and governance. This impact is profoundly important because the Ocean represents much more than a source of resources to Pacific Islanders. The ocean is their pride, their community bond, their spiritual and ancestral connection with creation, their survival, and their responsibility.
“Despite the fact that the fellowship program will end soon, I know my project will continue on and have a positive impact on my work and the communities that I serve.” – Emma Kabua-Tibon, Republic of the Marshall Islands
CSF Fellowship Coordinator Natalia Sanín reflected on her time in Fiji, “I think that the fellows have been redefining the narrative on ocean health and governance in the Pacific. And now they know what they need to do to achieve their project goals. I couldn’t be more grateful to be part of this program and to have met and worked with the POFFP Fellows, mentors, and the FFA team.”
During the upcoming months, the Fellows will be working on their projects, conducting research, meeting with communities and stakeholders, and gathering and analyzing information with the goal of finalizing their projects in late February. Stay tuned for information about results presentations via webinar in March or April.
For more on this program, you can read about the first workshop in the Solomon Islands, the program overview, and the Fellows’ bios.
This fellowship program is part of the Pacific Ocean Finance Program (POFP), which is Component 3 of the Pacific Regional Oceanscape Program (PROP) funded by the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility and is being implemented through the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) in partnership with Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF), the Conservation Finance Alliance (CFA), and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
“The Seychelles was the first country to issue a debt-for-nature swap to protect its marine environment; it was also the first to issue a blue bond, raising capital to finance sustainable marine and ocean-related projects. But can it overcome the teething problems and provide a model other island nations can follow?”
View the entire article from Euromoney here.
Photo: Euromoney.com
Presented by: David Meyers of the Conservation Finance Alliance and Nicolas Pascal of Blue finance
This webinar will be offered at two different times:
Description: Coral reefs provide enormous economic value to humanity and are gaining increasing attention from donors, philanthropists, and governments. This webinar will explore the use of Conservation Trust Funds and Impact Investing to support coral reef conservation. Conservation Trust Funds (CTFs) are private, legally independent institutions that provide sustainable financing for biodiversity conservation. Impact Investing is investing in companies, organizations, and funds with the intention of generating measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. Specifically, the webinar will discuss how protected area, national, and regional CTFs can raise, manage, and invest financing for coral reef conservation and restoration. The webinar will also review how impact investing can be used to manage coral reef areas through public private partnerships. This webinar is sponsored by the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), an informal partnership which strives to preserve coral reefs and related ecosystems around the world, as part of its collaboration with the Conservation Finance Alliance for promoting innovative financing for coral reef conservation.
Co-sponsors: OCTO (OpenChannels, The Skimmer, MPA News, EBM Tools Network) and the Reef Resilience Network
Register:
Viewing 1: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DJrJb9gOTTODg_ajVS5EyA
Viewing 2: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_reEKuuJVT4KAHoWjPJVM9g
Photo by: Catlin Seaview Survey
An article written for The Economist Group World Ocean Initiative by guest author Mark Gough, executive director of the Natural Capital Coalition. The piece reflects on the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, showing Mark’s views and presenting valuable and interesting information. The full article is available on the Economist Group website.
CFA is excited to announce the official launch of the Marine and Coastal Finance Working Group. We are very pleased to have Marine Finance experts Annabelle Bladon and Melissa Walsh working as Co-Chairs. If you are interested in joining the working group or have questions for our new chairs, please visit the Marine and Coastal Finance WG page on the CFA site.
Photo: Hannes Klostermann
Presented by: David Meyers of the Conservation Finance Alliance and Venkat Iyer of UN Environment
This webinar will be offered at two different times:
· Viewing 1: Wednesday, June 5, Noon US EDT/9 am US PDT/4 pm UTC
· Viewing 2: Wednesday, June 5, 9 pm US EDT/6 pm US PDT (Thursday June 6, 9 am Australian WST/11 am Australian EST/1 am UTC)
Description: The Wildlife Conservation Society, in collaboration with the Conservation Finance Alliance and in support of the 50 Reefs initiative, recently released "Finance Tools for Coral Reef Conservation: A Guide" as a resource for protected area managers and others charged with managing and financing reef conservation. The report describes 13 types of finance tools which have either been proven successful at or have great potential to support reef conservation and sustainable management. Some of the finance tools to be covered in this overview webinar include various tourism-based fees, biodiversity offsets, bonds, debt swaps, and conservation trust funds. This webinar will share key findings and recommendations from the report and invite discussion from participants. This webinar is sponsored by the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), an informal partnership which strives to preserve coral reefs and related ecosystems around the world, as part of its collaboration with the Conservation Finance Alliance for promoting innovative financing for coral reef conservation.
Co-sponsors: OCTO (OpenChannels, The Skimmer, MPA News), the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe), and the Reef Resilience Network
Register:
· Viewing 1: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BoVvSwLgQ-GqO7osvPc4YQ
· Viewing 2: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RhZKT0S4SQW3DPJ3K0XNXg
Photo Credit: Jayne Jenkins
The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) - in partnership with Conservation Strategy Fund, the Conservation Finance Alliance and the Wildlife Conservation Society - are pleased to expand the number of countries eligible to apply for the Pacific Ocean Finance Fellowship. The goal of the fellowship program is to strengthen Pacific regional capacity in financing for improved ocean governance and health.
Citizens or permanent residents of Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Tokelau, Papua New Guinea, and Niue, and Vanuatu are eligible. The fellowship program will select up to 15 fellows for this first cohort.
This fellowship is partially funded through the Pacific Ocean Finance Program, which is Component 3 of the Pacific Regional Oceanscape Program (PROP) - funded by World Bank and Global Environment Facility - and implemented through FFA and OPOC. The aim of the Pacific Ocean Finance Program is to improve the amount and efficacy of finance for Pacific Ocean governance.
FFA and OPOC will provide funding for successful applicants from non-World Bank member countries (Cook Islands, Tokelau, Papua New Guinea, and Niue.)
The deadline to apply is May 10th, 2019. Click here for more information.
Questions? Contact pacificfinancefellows@conservation-strategy.org.
