Catalyzing the conservation and restoration of forests landscape at scale in Africa

The Nature Conservancy

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At a glance

The Africa Forest Carbon Catalyst aims to catalyze an increase in private sector financing for forest conservation projects in Southern and Eastern Africa, with an aim to stem deforestation and support reforestation in cooperation with local communities.

The partners

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations. Founded in 1951, it launched its African program in 2006 and since then has been working with local communities and governments.

The problem

Africa has the highest rate of deforestation on Earth.1 But, African countries have also made the world's largest commitment by pledging to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. Achieving this ambitious goal will require 10 times more funding than currently flows into Africa.

The Africa Forest Carbon Catalyst aims to bridge the gap in financing needed to scale African forest projects by coupling a technical assistance facility that will de-risk an investment facility that aims to bring private funding into forest protection and restoration projects.

The solution

An innovative blended finance approach to tackle some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental issues, the Africa Forest Carbon Catalyst will include a development facility, run by TNC, and an ‘investment facility’ formed and managed by a third-party investment adviser. The development facility will identify,
strengthen, and deliver a robust portfolio of sustainable and profitable forest-related enterprises and projects ready for private sector contribution. The investment facility will then harness investor capital to expand these enterprises, thereby delivering forest conservation and restoration outcomes at scale.

The evidence

The Africa Forest Carbon Catalyst will support organizations that have demonstrated positive results and show strong potential for scaling. The organizations in the pipeline have already collectively planted more than 50 million trees, worked with more than two million farmers, and protected more than two million hectares of forest.

The Impact

  • Climate mitigation: reduction/avoidance of tons of CO2
  • Climate adaptation: hectares of land with increased climate resilience
  • Forest and biodiversity conservation: hectares conserved
  • Forest and biodiversity restoration: hectares restored/reforested
  • Improved livelihoods: additional farmer income/ increased farm value
  • Improved livelihoods: additional jobs created

The Nature Conservancy works towards SDGs:

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1 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2020). The State of the World's Forest. Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/state-of-forests/en/. Last consulted: October 26, 2020.