The Challenge
Climate change and biodiversity loss are two key challenges of our time. If ambitious measures are not taken, our planet is expected to experience an overall temperature increase of more than three degrees. This will cause more extreme weather events, water scarcity, insecure food supply and new diseases. Higher temperatures also mean damage to natural habitats as well as a loss of biodiversity and important ecosystem services.
Two crises – one solution
Nature conservation helps with both climate action and the promotion of biodiversity – it is a solution to several challenges.
Nature-based approaches
In order to achieve the international community’s goal of keeping a global warming of 1.5 to 2.0 degrees in reach as well as to attain net zero targets by 2050, CO2 must also be removed from the atmosphere and stored for as long as possible. This makes natural carbon sinks indispensable – not just from an environmental perspective, but for economic and social reasons, too.
Nature-based approaches that restore degraded and deforested landscapes help to protect the climate and strengthen biodiversity. In addition, corresponding projects provide livelihood outcomes for the local population and strengthen further ecosystem services.
Making greater use of nature-based approaches for climate change mitigation requires the mobilisation of additional capital – and carbon markets can contribute to that. However, aspects of integrity need to be strengthened to generate high quality credits.
Our response
The Innovation Facility is a response to this challenge – grant making designed to stimulate innovation, leverage the deep connection between the conservation, sustainable management, and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems for livelihood outcomes, and carbon sequestration, helping to mobilise the private sector and strengthen natural carbon sinks.
