Winner of 2018 Pathfinder Awards for Innovative Solutions in Protected Area Finance

Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust wins the 2018 Pathfinder Award

The Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT), winner of the inaugural award, is a transboundary conservation trust fund in the Balkans that has established long-term financing, which is additionally used to attract co-financing for important conservation activities. Mirjam de Koning, the Executive Director of PONT accepted the award from the Egyptian Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad, at the opening of the CBD COP 14 in November. Read the full story here to learn about the other winners. 

Watch the BIOFIN/PANORAMA joint webinar: Innovative Protected Areas Financing and Resourcing Solutions, featuring the winners of the 2018 Pathfinder Awards.

*Photo from BIOFIN site

New Case Study from Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility

The Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility (TLFF) finances local projects and companies in Indonesia focused on green growth and sustainable rural livelihoods. Convergence awarded Design Funding to ADM Capital to build TLFF's initial finance structure and pipeline.

In 2018, TLFF completed its inaugural transaction, which is also Asia's first corporate sustainability bond: a landmark $95 million long-dated sustainability bond to finance sustainable natural rubber production in Indonesia. This case study focuses on its inception and design.

The full Case Study is available here.

More than 200 Governments, Business, Bankers, and NGOs Join Call to Action for Biodiversity “Net Gain”

Over 200 individuals from conservation organisations, governments, companies and financial institutions have joined in a “Call to Action” for greater efforts to secure “Biodiversity Net Gain” in the context of development. The call to action was issued during Natural Capital Week, where the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Programme (BBOP) launched a new set of roadmaps and guidance for business and government to craft economic development strategies that result in an overall gain of biodiversity, rather than loss.

View the online press release here and the Call To Action here.

CPIC Releases New Blueprints to Boost Investment in Nature Conservation

A major coalition of finance and conservation organizations launched a series of blueprints aimed at replicating and expanding successful investment in nature.

The blueprints published by the Coalition for Private Investment in Conservation (CPIC) will help accelerate the development of investment deals in four sectors: sustainable cocoa, conservation forestry, marine protected areas, and green infrastructure for coastal resilience and for watershed protection.

Each blueprint is based on the experience of CPIC’s 64 member organizations, including conservation agencies, civil society bodies, financial intermediaries and banks, in launching existing deals.

For more information please see the full press release here.

Save the Date for Relaunch of Innovation Working Group

We are pleased to announce that on November 15th, 2018 at 11am EDT we will have an online meeting to relaunch our Innovation Working Group. Hosted by Chair Ray Victurine, the meeting will cover the CFA Incubator as well as have a discussion around specific interests of the group for future activities.

Please RSVP on the Innovation Working Group page.