The Nature Conservancy and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) strengthen their partnership for the protection of biodiversity at CBD COP16

28 October 2024, Cali, Colombia – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) announce the launch of their Indicative Joint Action Plan for 2024-2026, marking a significant step forward in their ongoing collaboration to combat biodiversity loss and promote sustainable development. This plan outlines a series of strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing biodiversity conservation, water security, and climate resilience across various geographies. Their collaboration formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), focuses on promoting nature-based solutions and supporting sustainable economic development that benefits local communities.

Promoting biodiversity conservation and ecological integrity          

The TNC and AFD collaboration on Nature based Solutions (NbS) for Water Security started in 2019, with TNC providing guidance for AFD staff and its counterparts on how to incorporate more NbS and watershed conservation into project design. Since then, both organisations have collaborated on a number of projects, including in Ecuador, Senegal, Kenya, Angola and  Cambodia through TNC’s local programs and the Nature for Water Facility, where AFD holds a Board seat. 

Over the next two years, AFD and TNC will continue to develop the cooperation on NBS for Water Security through a multi-faceted project in Brazil. In addition, both organisations will collaborate to advance the governance and establish platforms for collective action for NbS planning and implementation, with a particular focus on the role of Basin Organizations. 

The cooperation between AFD and TNC will also evolve to further develop ongoing collaborations and identify opportunities for NbS and resilience across freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems in Southern Africa countries. Using a landscape approach, our joint efforts will focus on identifying financing mechanisms to support the long-term financial sustainability of national biodiversity strategies and action plans.

Unlocking finance for conservation: sustainable finance mechanisms

Acknowledging the urgent need to leverage both public and private funding at scale and uniting capabilities and knowledge to help countries address biodiversity loss and climate change, AFD and TNC will seek to align their conservation strategies and finance toolkit.  Financial instruments to be leveraged include debt for nature conversions and Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) projects that can deliver long-term predictable resources to achieve conservation impact at scale. 

In addition, TNC and AFD will seek to collaborate in several other areas, such as advancing the development finance community’s biodiversity agenda, exploring innovative public-private partnerships to mobilise resources for climate and biodiversity and supporting the energy transition in Southeast Europe while minimizing adverse effects on nature and communities.

Jennifer Morris, CEO of The Nature Conservancy, said:

“More than ever before, we need strong, focused partnerships to address the biodiversity and climate crises. TNC’s expansion of our collaboration with AFD is a critical step to support countries around the world with the implementation and financing of their national biodiversity and climate strategies. Targets are critical, but implementation will not occur without financing and radical collaboration between development finance institutions and global NGOs in support of governments’ collective ambitions.”  

Marie-Hélène Loison, deputy CEO of AFD for her part, stated: “The strengthening of collaboration with The Nature Conservancy highlights the strengthening of AFD’s action towards biodiversity conservation, restoration and mainstreaming in all sectors. This collaboration, which focuses on AFD’s sectors of intervention and financial innovation, will help us to progress towards our alignment with the Global Biodiversity Framework, as we did for the Paris Agreement.”

About Agence Française de Développement (AFD) :

AFD Group contributes to the implementation of France’s policies for sustainable development and international solidarity. The Group includes Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which finances the public sector, NGOs, research and training; its subsidiary Proparco, which is dedicated to the private sector; and Expertise France, a technical cooperation agency. The Group finances, supports and accelerates the transitions needed for a fairer, more resilient world. With our partners, we are building shared solutions with and for people in more than 150 countries, as well as in 11 French Overseas Departments and Territories. As part of the commitment of France and the French people to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, our teams are at work on 4,200 projects in the field. Our objective is to reconcile economic development with the preservation of common goods, from peace, the climate and biodiversity to health, education and gender equality. Towards a world in common.