Africa’s protected areas are critical for safeguarding the continent’s biodiverse ecosystems. However, important areas for biodiversity conservation outside protected areas are threatened by extractive commercial agriculture and urban and industrial development. In order to meet the "30x30" goal of the Global Biodiversity Framework, an annual investment of USD 20-25 billion is needed to cover 30% of protected areas. The challenge we face is that traditional revenue streams – government, donor support, and tourism – only meet 10-20% of management needs. 

To address these challenges Platcorp has pioneered the development of the Climate Resilient Landscape Finance (CRLF) project. CRLF is an innovative concessional debt facility combining  microfinance, private debt, and technical assistance to address the underlying challenges to long-term sustainable, climate-resilient land management in and around African conservancies. Ringfenced investment opportunities in conservancy debt and microfinance portfolios target a diversity of local and international  impact-seeking investor types. In this way, CRLF attracts private investors by addressing the traditionally unattractive risk/return profiles and small scale of most existing opportunities in nature-based and conservation projects.

CRLF has the potential to transform the economics of conservation-critical areas by monetizing the value of tourism, climate, biodiversity, carbon and sustainable production, whilst sharing these benefits with local  communities.

For more information or to discuss investment opportunities please contact Jonty Rawlins, CRLF Lead and Head of Sustainability (Platcorp Group).