UN secretary general António Guterres issued a sober warning last week when he said, the era of global warming has ended and “the era of global boiling has arrived”. Global boiling is in reference to scientists confirming that the past three weeks have been the hottest since records began. Guterres went on to urge politicians to take swift action, “… Leaders must lead. No more hesitancy, no more excuses, no more waiting for others to make the first move, there is simply no more time for that.” Indeed, consistent criticism directed toward heads of state has been their sluggishness in concrete and aggressive action in the fight against climate change. However, often when confronted with said criticism, leaders lament the challenge of financing the necessary changes to resist climate change.

Currently, annual financing for nature-positive efforts stands between $124 billion and $143 billion from all sources. The UN Environment Programme has deemed the sum insufficient and called for a doubling of financial flows for environmental restoration purposes. Obviously, such colossal sums are only available by combining all types of finance: public and private, domestic and international, as well as innovating new funding models such as high-quality nature-based carbon solutions, and payment for ecosystem services. It seems clear that in order to fight the era of “global boiling” both the private and public sectors will need to come together and offer solutions. 

Project Mejuruá offers a way forward

A prime example of a private endeavor choosing creative options to do what it can to counter “global boiling’ is Project Mejuruá from BR ARBO Gestão Florestal. The ambitious project aims to preserve over 900,000 hectares of Amazonia rainforest, bringing sustainable development to the area, at the same time working to conserve the forest and its natural wealth for the future generations. The significant and unique selling point of this project is its multifaceted approach to conservation. Mejuruá incorporates a sustainable forest management project, social initiatives to provide essential services – including education, health, and utilities – to local communities, and a carbon credit scheme that offers a viable funding source for those undertakings.

A core aspect of conservation in general, but particularly for Project Mejuruá is sustainable forest management. An example of this is the concept of rotational logging, not only is it environmentally responsible but it also provides employment and training opportunities for local residents while enabling enough time for timber stocks to be replenished. Additionally, forestry workers and their presence act as a deterrent and are a first line of defense against illegal activity, said ground surveillance in conjunction with drone and satellite imagery to identify illegal logging across a much wider area, effectively protecting the forest from a wide variety of threats. Thus, sustainable forest management contributes to a reduction in GHG emissions and at the same time allows BR ARBO Gestão Florestal to issue carbon credits. BR ARBO Gestão Florestal encapsulates how impactful an ambitious project led by the private sector can be for the environment.

A joint model of conservation

But even at a global level, new initiatives and ways forward involving the private sector are being discussed. Last month, at the Paris Summit for New Global Financing, global leaders asked for not only new but also the scaled use of creative financial instruments, ranging from nature-based solutions to debt restructuring. For those who require financial assistance to be able to carry a committed conservation model, the model of Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) can prove to be a useful option. The model allows governments and local stakeholders to partner with funders and NGOs to exploit the financial instruments to secure long-term management and financing for conservation areas.  Said long-term approach attempts to take into account the possible changing political and social landscape. What tends to make PFPs attractive not only from an environmental but also from an organizational perspective is their holistic approach as well as their choice to use a single closing, meaning the pledged funds are distributed as soon as the pledged commitments are met.

This means that when taking on a PFP agreement, what generally happens is that national governments present investors with a plan to effectively manage their protected areas. The investors then establish a bridge fund (temporary intermediary funding) to assist the government in assuming the full conservation cost over at least 10 years. This allows governments that are highly motivated to have access to additional funds that they generally wouldn’t be able to access. However, this also implies that the motivation for continued work is shared. In a perfect world, this is always the case. However, this is not always guaranteed causing some private companies to go at it alone to ensure project continuity regardless of politics.

Priority to sustainability

Ultimately, the choice of how we move forward is up to governments as well as the initiative of the private sector. PFPs may be a promising model for those willing to bet on governmental continuity and those who are financially required to take that leap of faith. Others, with the necessary means and conviction, are likely to follow the path of Mejuruá where a multifaceted approach, significant investment, and the creation of a sustainable financing model are the ingredients to successful conservation.

The aim is that as more private entities realize the vital importance of conservation as well as preservation for our planet, they too might be motivated to embark on their own Mejuruá project. All in the name of hope, hope that our children will see the lungs of the planet as they are today, if not in better shape, and that the world we offer them will not be a world of “global boiling”.

Image credit: CIFOR/Flickr

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