Delivering Net Zero.

our thinking

COP15 agreement in the spotlight – a ‘New Deal for Nature’

20 December 2022 / WORDS BY Jane Hutchinson and Laura Waterford

Returning from the UN Biodiversity COP 15 in Montreal, Pollination Foundation’s Co-CEO Jane Hutchinson and Pollination Director Laura Waterford share their thoughts on the historic agreement reached at the event.

READ ARTICLE

in the news

Climate Asset Management raises $650 mln to invest in nature projects

14 December 2022 / published on REUTERS

Climate Asset Management, the specialist “natural capital” investment manager formed by HSBC Asset Management (HSBA.L) and climate change advisory firm Pollination Group, said it has raised $650 million for projects which aim to protect the environment.

Its investors are corporates, ranging from some of the top global 100 companies to smaller niche players, Martin Berg, CAM’s chief investment officer, said. Rather than financial returns, these investors will receive carbon credits.

“We thought the main target (for the funds) would be institutional investors but we now recognise corporates are key players … they are really becoming (big) investors in this,” he said.

Through its Natural Capital Strategy’s flagship 15-year Natural Capital Fund, CAM is targeting a 10% return on investment before fees on projects in regenerative agriculture and forestry in developed markets. CAM’s second strategy, its Nature Based Carbon Strategy, taps into increasing corporate demand for verifiable carbon offsets and will finance nature-based carbon projects in developing economies.

POLLINATION FOUNDATION

We accelerate nature-based initiatives that put humanity at the heart of climate solutions.

Image credit: Caleb Russell

OUR STORY

Over millennia our complex web of ecosystems have created an environment that sustains all life on earth.

For humans, natural ecosystems are critical to our health and wellbeing.

For Indigenous people and local communities globally, nature holds deep spiritual meaning.

But today, these vital ecosystems are being degraded and are disappearing rapidly. Species are becoming extinct at unprecedented rates. Climate change is amplifying this loss, further diminishing the resilience of nature to adapt and recover.

Meanwhile, the laws, policies, decision-making frameworks and practices designed to protect nature are failing us.

At Pollination Foundation we are taking a new approach.

OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE:

Place-based economies will create a climate resilient future where people and nature thrive.

Local economies thrive

through diverse nature-based enterprise at different scales and across multiple themes such as bush foods, botanicals & regenerative agriculture, nature restoration & habitat protection, nature-based tourism, carbon farming, aquaculture and water protection.

Indigenous
knowledge is valued

and woven into a systems-based approach, elevating community knowledge and inspiring us to reimagine and nurture our relationship with nature.

Nature is valued

recognising that all life depends on it and that significant, sustained investment in natural ecosystems is critical.

Landscapes are healthy and resilient

because the relationship between people and nature is respected, allowing ecosystems to adapt and thrive through changes including climate shocks.

HOW WE WORK

We’re a catalytic organisation supporting others by incubating ideas, nurturing growth and celebrating success.

Community-led solutions carry deep knowledge and power to evoke change. They make a critical contribution to net zero emissions and ensure a just transition to our nature positive future. But seeds of ideas may not realised without targeted support and access to new networks. And no two projects are the same, nor are their needs.

Here, Pollination Foundation plays a catalysing role. As a backbone organisation we listen deeply, share experience, incubate ideas, bridge local to global connections, co-design and support leaders until the initiative is ready to standalone to realise what is possible. Overtime the vision is for a dynamic collective of inter-connected initiatives that continue to learn, grow and flourish, together.

WHAT WE DO

Our strategy and who we work with

Seed innovation

Partner with Indigenous and local communities to incubate nature-based enterprise founded on culture, creativity, and deep knowledge of ecosystem health.

Grow solutions

Collaborate with corporates, governments, and finance sector to unlock resources and investments to grow and sustain nature-based initiatives.

Cross pollinate ideas

Connect practitioners creating landscape scale nature-based initiatives for peer-to-peer learning.

Share stories of hope

Share stories of hope, grounded in evidence and told through the voices of our partners.

Image credit: Wayne Quilliam

OUR PARTNERSHIP MODEL

As a registered not-for-profit with Deductable Gift Recipient (DGR) status, our work is supported by partners who share our values and vision for the future.

Grantmakers

We partner with grantmakers who are bold in their vision and open to testing new pathways because yesterday’s solutions are not fit for today’s challenges. We look for partners who respect that system change takes time and focus on learning together, celebrating the important milestones achieved along the way.

Community Organisations

We partner with community organisations who are creative thinkers, open to new ideas and hold a vision for intergenerational change. We commit to a distributed leadership model with knowledge and expertise embedded across the community and we look for strong governance because we know the decisions we make today shape our future.

Pollination

Pollination provides strategic advice across the spectrum of disciplines needed for the transition to a net zero, nature positive future. This includes strategy, policy, law, finance, investment, and new market opportunity advice. While we don’t provide direct funding to the Foundation, we invest knowledge, networks and expertise into Foundation led initiatives. We support Foundation initiatives with best practice corporate governance, laying strong foundations for their success. Where our breakthrough advisory mandates align with the Foundation strategy, we draw on the team’s knowledge, skills and experience to design and deliver maximum impact.