Caribbean Conservation Finance Congress

Caribbean Conservation Finance Congress

When: July 6th - 8th

The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund and the Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund are proud to be the co-organizers and hosts of the inaugural Caribbean Conservation Finance Congress scheduled for July 6th – 8th, 2021 in a virtual format. The Congress will focus on building and showcasing Caribbean sustainable financing solutions for conservation and sustainable development, exchanging experiences among Caribbean actors, and learning from other regions and global initiatives.

Job Opportunity: Kasanka Trust (2 positions)

Fundraising and Communications Manager

The Trust is now looking for a Fundraising,  and Communication Manager to lead the implementation of programme 9. This is a full-time three-year position based either in Lusaka, or Kasanka, with with regular visits between the two locations. The Fundraising,  and Communication manager  will report to the Trust’s Acting General Manager and work closely with the other senior management staff.

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Fundraising Consultant

The assignment is for approximately 10 to 15 days per months over a 16 month-period, starting between July and September 2021.

The consultant will be selected from within either the UK or the Netherlands for proximity to the two Trusts. The consultant will work from their home residence. The assignment requires regular travel to/within the UK and to/within the Netherland as well as potentially other trips within Europe for fundraising.

The consultant would work close with, including receiving instruction from, focal persons in the UK and Netherland Trusts and report to KTL’s Manager, Fundraising and Communications.

The contract will be between the consultant and KTL.  It is funded by a grant from the French Facility for the Global Environment to KTL.

PRESS RELEASE - Convergence Provides Funding to Support Sustainable Agriculture and Protect Critical Habitat in Indonesia

Convergence Provides Funding to Support Sustainable Agriculture and Protect Critical Habitat in Indonesia

Toronto, 3 June 2021 - Convergence awards a feasibility study grant to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to develop a blended finance solution in Indonesia that increases access to credit and training for smallholder coffee farmers to engage in sustainable agriculture — with the end goal of strengthening smallholder livelihoods while protecting critical habitat and preserving biodiversity. This grant is awarded through the Asia Natural Capital Design Funding Window, co-designed with and funded by the RS Group, a Hong Kong based family office.

Commodity driven deforestation is an important driver of tree cover loss in Indonesia. Major gains have been made in reducing deforestation within commodity supply chains in recent years, and the development of new initiatives that support smallholder farmers to transition to sustainable production models are critically important in maintaining this momentum. Investments at the forest frontier, with the right management measures in place, can also play a major role in reducing deforestation and forest degradation. However, these investments are often deemed high risk, meaning they exist outside the scope of traditional investments.

The grant to WCS will explore the feasibility of establishing the Bukit Barisan Selatan (BBS) Landscape Fund, a blended finance fund tied closely to conservation outcomes that provides targeted technical assistance and capacity building to smallholder farmers adjacent to the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in Sumatra. To mobilize domestic lending to smallholder farmers, the Fund will also seek to develop a credit enhancement mechanism for local financial institutions.

“What got us excited about the BBS Landscape fund was that it offered an elegant solution to a tricky development challenge,” says Joan Larrea, CEO at Convergence. “The blended fund model proposed will first tackle the social dimension of deforestation, namely the marginalization of smallholders in sustainable/deforestation-free supply chain efforts, which then leads to preserving and protecting these priceless habitats. It really gets to the root of the problem.”

The BBS Landscape Fund, once fully mobilised, will have the potential to support the livelihoods of over 20,000 farmers by increasing the productivity of their coffee production, providing access to markets, and building their technical, financial, and organizational capacities. These investments in turn could catalyse a reduction in over 20,000 hectares of deforestation, avoiding over 13 million megatonnes of CO2 emissions through 2050, and supporting the protection of the BBS National Park, a critical habitat for iconic species such as the Sumatran tiger.

“With this grant we have an exciting opportunity to demonstrate both the business case and the conservation benefit of carefully targeted investments in sustainable agriculture at the forest and farm frontier in Sumatra. By exploring the feasibility of this Fund in the Bukit Barisan landscape we’re also able to build upon a longstanding partnership with the National Park and local communities in the area, giving us the best possible chance for success.” says Matt Leggett, Associate Director, Sustainable Commodities at WCS.

“For over 20 years, WCS has been partnering with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to conserve Indonesia’s unique forest and biodiversity, including in the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. We’re excited to see how this feasibility study could support coffee farmers at the forest frontier, protect wildlife habitat, and provide much needed financing in support of conservation”, says Noviar Andayani, Country Director of WCS’s Indonesia Program.

The Asia Natural Capital Design Funding Window is currently accepting applications, with an upcoming deadline of June 3rd, 2021. Please visit our website for more details.

About Convergence’s Design Funding Program

Convergence’s Design Funding Program provides early-stage capital to support blended finance solutions in frontier markets and nascent sectors in order to accelerate the number of investible transactions targeting the SDGs. Initiated, co-designed, and funded by the RS Group with $3 million in funding, the Asia Natural Capital Design Funding Window supports blended finance solutions that find new ways to enhance and protect the world's stock of natural assets, including water, land, soil, air, plants, and animals, by attracting private investment at scale. This design funding program is the first of its kind focused on the Asia and Pacific. Please visit Convergence’s Design Funding page for submission deadlines as well as other open windows.

About Convergence

Convergence is the global network for blended finance. On top of market acceleration through its Design Funding program, Convergence generates blended finance data, intelligence, and deal flow to increase private sector investment in developing countries. Convergence’s global membership includes over 200 public, private, and philanthropic investors as well as sponsors of transactions and funds. To learn more, visit www.convergence.finance.

About the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

WCS is a US non-profit established to save wildlife and wild places worldwide. WCS currently works in more than 60 countries and has helped to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe.  WCS has been working to protect biodiversity in Indonesia since 1965 and has been active in the Bukit Barisan Selatan landscape for over 20 years.

Job Opportunities: SeyCCAT

The following positions are available with the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adapation Trust (SeyCCAT):
 

Grants Manager: SeyCCAT is searching for an experienced grants manager responsible for the grants, sub-grants and contracts that it receives and issues.

Project Coordinator:  SeyCCAT is searching for a person with extensive project management experience to support the delivery and implementation of projects relating to marine spatial planning, fisheries reforms and capacity building.

Grants and Fundraising Assistant: SeyCCAT is searching for a ‘go-getter’ with a can-do attitude to support the team with a strong focus on communications and fundraising. 

Fundraising and Partnerships Manager: SeyCCAT is searching for a fundraising and partnerships manager with a proven track record of mobilising resources in particular to meet conservation objectives. 

Interior Designer: SeyCCAT is offering a short-term contract (20 days) for the refurbishment of the SeyCCAT offices.

Consultancy Opportunity - Wildlife Conservation Society

The Wildlife Conservation Society is seeking a Sustainable Finance Consultant as part of an effort to tackle the issue of deteriorating marine environments in the Western Indian Ocean by expanding MPAs and improving their management.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and partners are tackling the issue of deteriorating marine environments in the Western Indian Ocean by expanding MPAs and improving their management. The Western Indian Ocean is a socially and biologically diverse region that contains some of the world’s most extensive and most climate resilient coral reefs and mangroves, which are critical sources of protein, coastal protection, and income to coastal populations. Yet, the integrity of the region’s ecosystems is threatened by the overexploitation of fisheries, habitat clearing, and pollution. These threats are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, coral bleaching, and storm events, as well as the insufficient levels of financing available to provide adequate protection and management. WCS is currently leading a project on the proposed Trans-Boundary Conservation Area (TBCA) between southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. The project addresses these challenges by supporting improved management of a network of climate resilient, sustainable and effectively managed marine protected areas in the Western Indian Ocean. Understanding the cost of this management and identifying and developing potential sources of sustainable financing is essential to meeting conservation objectives for these area. The project will thus contribute to maintaining the critical ecosystems in the region and ensure sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities.

Terms

The work will take place over a period of three months. We are accepting bids for this work. The consulting fees agreed to will includes time and all other associated costs (e.g. printing, internet, phone), but excluding the field-based assistants who will be covered separately. There will be no travel associated with this consultancy.
The work schedule (Table 1) outlines timeline for completion of deliverables.

Application Process

Interested consultants, who meet can carry out the above assignment, should send their expression of interest note by emailing to: joleary@wcs.org. Please include “MPA Sustainable Finance Consultancy TBCA” in the subject line of your email. Deadline: 18th June 2021.