The Amazon Rainforest, a vast and diverse ecosystem spanning seven million square kilometers across South America, serves a critical function in maintaining the Earth's climate. It absorbs carbon dioxide, releases oxygen, and regulates global rainfall patterns. Despite its immense value and the urgent need for conservation and restoration efforts, the Amazon faces significant threats from activities such as deforestation, mining, agriculture, and climate change-induced droughts. Its preservation is crucial not only for its unique cultural and biological diversity but also for its contribution to global objectives like The Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, aimed at limiting warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Recognizing the pressing need, climate finance has been identified as a vital tool for large-scale restoration and conservation efforts. However, current financial investments fall short of meeting the targets set for 2030, requiring a threefold increase. Entities like the Cisco Foundation are leading the charge by fostering innovation and supporting both public and private sector investments, particularly through mechanisms like the voluntary carbon market and biodiversity credits.
Aligned with Cisco and the Cisco Foundation's vision of a connected, regenerative, and inclusive future, efforts are focused on facilitating innovative financing flows to unlock essential resources for building economic, biocultural, and ecosystem resilience across the Amazon. Introducing three additional partner organizations supported by the Cisco Foundation:
NESsT: Investing in social enterprises
NESsT focuses on investing in emerging market social enterprises that utilize business tools to address contemporary social, economic, and environmental challenges. Through various forms of investment such as grants, recoverable grants, and loans, NESsT acts as a catalyst for overlooked areas, aiming to assist companies in meeting critical needs and attracting additional funding. Since 1997, NESsT has accelerated 243 enterprises, creating over 112,000 jobs and positively impacting more than 1.7 million people in Central Europe and South America.
In recent years, amidst increasing global attention on environmental conservation, the Amazon bioeconomy has emerged as a thriving economic sector. However, conventional economic perspectives often fail to recognize the significant role played by Indigenous peoples and local communities in environmental stewardship and economic development. NESsT adopts a different approach, emphasizing the importance of environmental impact and sustainability from the perspective of these communities. In collaboration with the Cisco Foundation and international supporters focusing on the Amazon region, NESsT has invested in over 50 high-impact enterprises and cooperatives, offering tailored capital solutions. These initiatives range from supporting Indigenous-led cooperatives aiding Amazon River fishers to backing early-stage tech companies advancing climate solutions in the rainforest. NESsT prioritizes the voices of Indigenous and local communities, acknowledging the effectiveness of their solutions and involving them in key decision-making processes.
Drawing from emerging insights, NESsT is crafting forward-looking recommendations that delineate the prerequisites for establishing a conducive funding environment conducive to unleashing the full potential of environmentally sustainable economic activities. Through the NESsT Amazonia Initiative, the organization acts as a crucial intermediary between enterprises and the international finance community, streamlining the flow of appropriate financing into the Amazon region.
Capital for Climate: Mobilizing Investment for Brazil's Nature-Based Solutions
Capital for Climate offers investors the tools needed to identify climate-related and nature-based opportunities, make confident investments, and develop effective capital allocation strategies in line with global agreements. Initially focusing on facilitating investments in nature-based solutions (NbS), which utilize natural ecosystems to combat climate change, Capital for Climate deems NbS as "mission critical" due to their significant potential for reducing global emissions and generating substantial economic value. While companies and investable funds in the NbS sector are burgeoning in Brazil, significant barriers still impede their scale-up and rapid deployment.
A pivotal initiative of Capital for Climate in addressing these challenges is the Brazil Nature-Based Investment Collaborative, which aims to attract USD$5 billion to the sector by COP30 in Brazil, enabling the scaling of NbS to millions of hectares by 2030—an essential step in providing economic alternatives to the prevalent deforestation practices. The Collaborative convenes leading investors to tackle critical barriers, identify opportunities, and channel investments into key areas such as regenerative agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and non-timber forest bioeconomy products.
Driving this endeavor, with support from the Cisco Foundation, is Capital for Climate's NbS Investment Intelligence Platform, which not only showcases investable climate-related opportunities but also provides essential contextual intelligence necessary for investor education, strategy formulation, opportunity identification, and due diligence. Currently featuring over 130 investable opportunities in Brazil alone, with 25 showcased to investors through virtual roadshows and summits, the platform's extension to broader regions like Latin America, Africa, and Asia is made possible by Cisco Foundation backing.
Through its strategic focus on unlocking investment flows for the Amazon and beyond, Capital for Climate empowers the private sector with the knowledge and networks needed to invest equitably and effectively in resilient ecosystems.
WWF: Pioneering Impact Measurement on a Global Scale
WWF has embarked on a pioneering venture with the establishment of the Nature-Based Solutions Origination Platform (NbS-OP), a novel model for scaling up, aligning, and mobilizing public and private finance for high-quality nature-based solutions within an integrated landscape finance framework. The NbS-OP sets a new benchmark for credibility and introduces standardized metrics for implementing nature-based solutions. With any intervention of this nature, it is imperative to monitor impact and identify opportunities for continuous learning and enhancement.
The NbS Origination Platform is currently testing a monitoring framework in Madre de Dios, a rainforest area in Peru renowned for its rich biodiversity, distinct ecosystems, and significant social, economic, and cultural values. This pilot project aims to establish a foundation for monitoring activities across other landscapes where the NbS-OP will be implemented in its initial phases. By implementing methodologies and principles in the diverse and ecologically dynamic landscape of Madre de Dios, the program seeks to refine the strategies and techniques of the NbS-OP, ensuring their resilience, scalability, and adaptability to various environmental settings. This approach strives to bridge the gap between theoretical conservation models and practical, real-world applications.
A crucial aspect of the program involves developing robust protocols for metrics that accurately depict the impacts on nature, climate, and communities. This entails designing, testing, and refining measurement techniques capable of capturing the diverse effects of nature-based solutions. The challenge lies in establishing protocols that are scientifically rigorous yet practical and flexible enough for use across different landscapes and ecosystems.
The development of these metrics extends beyond mere numerical data; they will encompass the holistic impact of successful nature-based solutions and will integrate cutting-edge data from environmental DNA analysis, forest scanning systems, biomass monitoring, and assessments of social impacts. The goal is to facilitate the creation of a comprehensive results framework for both the overarching landscape strategy and specific interventions.
The Cisco Foundation’s Support for the Amazon Bioregion
Through funding innovative financing mechanisms to enhance capital flow into the region, supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities for community empowerment and ecological regeneration, and explicitly empowering Indigenous communities to practice self-governance and land defense, the Cisco Foundation takes pride in supporting a comprehensive range of nonprofit partners. By investing in resilient ecosystems, we can safeguard human rights, empower vulnerable communities, and preserve the planet.
Recognizing the pressing need, climate finance has been identified as a vital tool for large-scale restoration and conservation efforts. However, current financial investments fall short of meeting the targets set for 2030, requiring a threefold increase. Entities like the Cisco Foundation are leading the charge by fostering innovation and supporting both public and private sector investments, particularly through mechanisms like the voluntary carbon market and biodiversity credits.
Aligned with Cisco and the Cisco Foundation's vision of a connected, regenerative, and inclusive future, efforts are focused on facilitating innovative financing flows to unlock essential resources for building economic, biocultural, and ecosystem resilience across the Amazon. Introducing three additional partner organizations supported by the Cisco Foundation:
NESsT: Investing in social enterprises
NESsT focuses on investing in emerging market social enterprises that utilize business tools to address contemporary social, economic, and environmental challenges. Through various forms of investment such as grants, recoverable grants, and loans, NESsT acts as a catalyst for overlooked areas, aiming to assist companies in meeting critical needs and attracting additional funding. Since 1997, NESsT has accelerated 243 enterprises, creating over 112,000 jobs and positively impacting more than 1.7 million people in Central Europe and South America.
In recent years, amidst increasing global attention on environmental conservation, the Amazon bioeconomy has emerged as a thriving economic sector. However, conventional economic perspectives often fail to recognize the significant role played by Indigenous peoples and local communities in environmental stewardship and economic development. NESsT adopts a different approach, emphasizing the importance of environmental impact and sustainability from the perspective of these communities. In collaboration with the Cisco Foundation and international supporters focusing on the Amazon region, NESsT has invested in over 50 high-impact enterprises and cooperatives, offering tailored capital solutions. These initiatives range from supporting Indigenous-led cooperatives aiding Amazon River fishers to backing early-stage tech companies advancing climate solutions in the rainforest. NESsT prioritizes the voices of Indigenous and local communities, acknowledging the effectiveness of their solutions and involving them in key decision-making processes.
Drawing from emerging insights, NESsT is crafting forward-looking recommendations that delineate the prerequisites for establishing a conducive funding environment conducive to unleashing the full potential of environmentally sustainable economic activities. Through the NESsT Amazonia Initiative, the organization acts as a crucial intermediary between enterprises and the international finance community, streamlining the flow of appropriate financing into the Amazon region.
Capital for Climate: Mobilizing Investment for Brazil's Nature-Based Solutions
Capital for Climate offers investors the tools needed to identify climate-related and nature-based opportunities, make confident investments, and develop effective capital allocation strategies in line with global agreements. Initially focusing on facilitating investments in nature-based solutions (NbS), which utilize natural ecosystems to combat climate change, Capital for Climate deems NbS as "mission critical" due to their significant potential for reducing global emissions and generating substantial economic value. While companies and investable funds in the NbS sector are burgeoning in Brazil, significant barriers still impede their scale-up and rapid deployment.
A pivotal initiative of Capital for Climate in addressing these challenges is the Brazil Nature-Based Investment Collaborative, which aims to attract USD$5 billion to the sector by COP30 in Brazil, enabling the scaling of NbS to millions of hectares by 2030—an essential step in providing economic alternatives to the prevalent deforestation practices. The Collaborative convenes leading investors to tackle critical barriers, identify opportunities, and channel investments into key areas such as regenerative agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and non-timber forest bioeconomy products.
Driving this endeavor, with support from the Cisco Foundation, is Capital for Climate's NbS Investment Intelligence Platform, which not only showcases investable climate-related opportunities but also provides essential contextual intelligence necessary for investor education, strategy formulation, opportunity identification, and due diligence. Currently featuring over 130 investable opportunities in Brazil alone, with 25 showcased to investors through virtual roadshows and summits, the platform's extension to broader regions like Latin America, Africa, and Asia is made possible by Cisco Foundation backing.
Through its strategic focus on unlocking investment flows for the Amazon and beyond, Capital for Climate empowers the private sector with the knowledge and networks needed to invest equitably and effectively in resilient ecosystems.
WWF: Pioneering Impact Measurement on a Global Scale
WWF has embarked on a pioneering venture with the establishment of the Nature-Based Solutions Origination Platform (NbS-OP), a novel model for scaling up, aligning, and mobilizing public and private finance for high-quality nature-based solutions within an integrated landscape finance framework. The NbS-OP sets a new benchmark for credibility and introduces standardized metrics for implementing nature-based solutions. With any intervention of this nature, it is imperative to monitor impact and identify opportunities for continuous learning and enhancement.
The NbS Origination Platform is currently testing a monitoring framework in Madre de Dios, a rainforest area in Peru renowned for its rich biodiversity, distinct ecosystems, and significant social, economic, and cultural values. This pilot project aims to establish a foundation for monitoring activities across other landscapes where the NbS-OP will be implemented in its initial phases. By implementing methodologies and principles in the diverse and ecologically dynamic landscape of Madre de Dios, the program seeks to refine the strategies and techniques of the NbS-OP, ensuring their resilience, scalability, and adaptability to various environmental settings. This approach strives to bridge the gap between theoretical conservation models and practical, real-world applications.
A crucial aspect of the program involves developing robust protocols for metrics that accurately depict the impacts on nature, climate, and communities. This entails designing, testing, and refining measurement techniques capable of capturing the diverse effects of nature-based solutions. The challenge lies in establishing protocols that are scientifically rigorous yet practical and flexible enough for use across different landscapes and ecosystems.
The development of these metrics extends beyond mere numerical data; they will encompass the holistic impact of successful nature-based solutions and will integrate cutting-edge data from environmental DNA analysis, forest scanning systems, biomass monitoring, and assessments of social impacts. The goal is to facilitate the creation of a comprehensive results framework for both the overarching landscape strategy and specific interventions.
The Cisco Foundation’s Support for the Amazon Bioregion
Through funding innovative financing mechanisms to enhance capital flow into the region, supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities for community empowerment and ecological regeneration, and explicitly empowering Indigenous communities to practice self-governance and land defense, the Cisco Foundation takes pride in supporting a comprehensive range of nonprofit partners. By investing in resilient ecosystems, we can safeguard human rights, empower vulnerable communities, and preserve the planet.