Jennifer Morris’ Post

It has been two years since the gavel fell in Montreal, giving us the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Since that time, governments, civil society, and businesses have been working to formulate actionable plans – and to catalyze the financial flows needed – to bring these goals to fruition.  The UN Biodiversity Conference will mark the start of a series of high-level policy gatherings for nature and people. Starting with #COP16Colombia, to the #G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November, and building to the UN Climate Change #COP30 in Brazil in 2025, the next 12 months will bring a unique opportunity to showcase the pivotal role that critical regions throughout Latin America can play in solving the biodiversity and climate crises. 

As we approach #COP16Colombia, it’s time to assess our collective readiness. 🌿 Our societies and economies are deeply supported by nature. 💸 Healthy ecosystems are crucial for thriving communities and robust economies. ⚡ As these ecosystems face deterioration, the consequences on productivity, jobs, and overall well-being become increasingly severe. This issue is not merely a moral imperative; it's essential for building resilience and future-proofing business models. I am honored to have joined Fred Hu, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Primavera Capital Group in writing our piece on valuing natural capital. As well as being in the company of Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, André Hoffmann, Ibrahim Thiaw, Svein Tore Holsether, Anna Borg, M Sanjayan, Susana Muhamad and Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim in taking a look at what we can do to not just adapt our business models; but rethink the systems that enable collaboration between public and private sectors. By aligning economic incentives, establishing bold policies, and fostering cross-sector partnerships, we can achieve the scale necessary to reverse ecological decline. Read the full compendium to learn more:  https://bit.ly/3BCa51x #champions4nature #naturalcapital #biodiversity #naturepositive #COP16Colombia #KMGBF #policycoherence #indigenousrepresentation The Nature Conservancy, World Economic Forum, UN Biodiversity, Teck Resources Limited, IUCN, Global Environment Facility, UN Convention to Combat Desertification, Yara International, Vattenfall, Primavera Capital Group, Conservation International, Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible, Association des Femmes Peules et Peuples Autochtones du Tchad

Good news on the horizon for #carboncredits The American Forest Foundation has announced its first nature-based carbon credit auction in early 2025. “Family forest owners are ready to take necessary climate action, and time is of the essence for corporations to invest in nature-based solutions to meet ambitious climate goals,” said Rita Hite, CEO of the American Forest Foundation. “This auction will be a game-changing opportunity for carbon buyers to secure premium carbon credits while supporting family forest owners and rural communities.” “This groundbreaking auction will redefine how corporations invest in nature-based solutions to address the threats of climate change and biodiversity loss,” said Kevin Maddaford, director of U.S. and Canada Carbon Markets at The Nature Conservancy. Congrats to all involved!

Even if you don't live near a coast, the ocean provides food, medicine, oxygen, inspiration and so much more. That's why The Nature Conservancy is excited to build upon our decades-long relationship with Tiffany & Co. to conserve the world's oceans for all those who rely on them. Today, Tiffany & Co. is launching the Love our Oceans initiative and is committing at least $1M to TNC to support our global ocean conservation efforts, including our goal of conserving 4B hectares of ocean by 2030. As part of the campaign, Tiffany & Co. has created T Smile by Tiffany cord bracelets with cords made entirely from ocean-bound plastic bottles. The contributions from these purchases will help further TNC's work to conserve and protect critical ocean habitats, as well as tackle some of the most pressing issues facing oceans today. Click on Dr. Elizabeth Mcleod's post below to learn more.

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending The Nature Conservancy's 2024 Gala in Hong Kong and honoring the contributions of Moses Tsang, who has spent more than 20 years advancing TNC's mission and inspiring collective action for nature. As a co-chair of TNC's Asia Pacific Council and former member of our Board of Directors, Moses is instrumental in bringing people together and championing conservation across the world.   We celebrated the launch of the Asia Pacific Innovation Fund in Moses and Angela Tsang's honor, a new fund to catalyze philanthropy in Asia Pacific with a unique focus on emerging conservation approaches that require funding to address barriers and put new projects on a path to scale.   The Asia Pacific region is home to 60% of the world's population and is facing increasing threats from climate change and biodiversity loss every day. I'm thrilled by some of the conservation successes we've accomplished in the region this year alone, from a nearly $200 million endeavor with the Government of Mongolia to protect 30% of the country's lands and waters by 2030 to a $35 million debt-for-nature swap to sustainably manage Indonesia's coral reefs. With the Asia Pacific Innovation Fund and continued work of The Nature Conservancy Asia Pacific with our local partners, we can accelerate our efforts to solve the region's greatest environmental challenges.   Thank you to the gala co-chairs Moses, Jennifer Yu Cheng and Jeannie Cho Lee MW, the Asia Pacific Council and the The Nature Conservancy Asia Pacific team for spearheading this event.

In Louisville, Kentucky, findings from a years-long study have shown an exciting result: planting trees in a neighborhood can yield significant health benefits for people who live there. 🌳    The Green Heart Louisville Project, supported by The Nature Conservancy, is a first-of-its-kind study showing the measurable ways that greenery can improve cardiovascular health and reduce pollution exposure. Planting more than 8,000 trees and shrubs across four Louisville neighborhoods, researchers found promising results that show how nature can benefit human health.    TNC Global Board Chair Bill Frist, M.D. shares more about this study in his latest column for Forbes – take a look:  https://lnkd.in/ervZ-RY7 

The Amazon is facing record wildfires and drought, threatening a globally vital area for biodiversity, carbon sequestration and the livelihoods of many communities.     Financing the protection of this landscape is an urgent challenge. Government funds and initiatives like the Tropical Forests Forever Facility and the Amazon Fund are crucial, but they aren't enough to tackle the scale of this issue. Protecting the Amazon requires innovative financing from both public and private sectors, including high-integrity carbon credit programs like jurisdictional REDD+ credits.     As my colleague José Otavio Passos says here: "There is a lot that the rich countries can do. There is a lot that the Brazilian government can do. There's a lot that the private sector can do, and we need to do it faster. Every one of us."

I’m excited to welcome Anjali Acharya, Ph.D to The Nature Conservancy! With her more than 25 years of experience in policy funding and global environmental programs, I'm confident she'll help us advance our work in India and across the Asia Pacific region. I'm thrilled to have her join the team!

Whether it's high-level events on the road to the climate and biodiversity COPs or the many closed-door meetings with our partners, Climate Week is always a kickoff to a busy policy season in which we hope to see increased ambition across government, corporates and civil society. This year, there was a lot of discussion around reforming financial systems, addressing the voluntary carbon market, developing ways of properly valuing nature and — crucially — understanding the intersection of climate and biodiversity.     A few highlights from last week include:  🌎 Celebrating the power of women in climate with The Nature Conservancy and Doris Duke Foundation  🌎 Hearing from Santiago Gowland, Ezgi Barcenas, Jason Weller, Simon Mundy, Janett Haas, Pilar Cruz, and Irving Fain at the FT Live and Forbes Sustainability Leaders Summit panels  🌎 Launching the for Nature for Water Ground Outcomes (GO) Fund to scale solutions for local watershed management  🌎 Seeing my colleagues at TNC host a lineup of great events at The Nest Climate Campus and Scandinavia House, tackling a wide range of topics like mangrove restoration, climate finance for Indigenous communities, deforestation and cattle production, scaling natural climate solutions, and corporate decarbonization     I'm grateful I could connect with so many people and hear insights from leaders across the climate and biodiversity space. I'm looking forward to continuing the work in Cali for #COP16 and in the policy season ahead. #ClimateWeekNYC     Kara H. Hurst, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Stephanie Holthaus, Sam Gill, Climate Group 📷 Jonathan Grassi