An exciting interactive opportunity to learn more about, and participate in, a pioneering and inclusive movement aimed at attracting responsible investment towards incentivising and empowering IPs and LCs, to conserve and restore biodiversity, while at the same time delivering tangible positive benefits for people and climate.

The growth of voluntary nature/biodiversity markets offers real potential to channel significant amounts of ethical/responsible investment to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and to incentivise the conservation and restoration of nature and biodiversity. After 25 years in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), the Plan Vivo Foundation* is well positioned to play a key role in how these markets evolve through our pioneering Biodiversity Standard (PV Nature) which has now been officially launched in Dec 2024. PV Nature is aimed at generating the first high-integrity biodiversity certificates that deliver robust and credible outcomes for nature (biodiversity) alongside social (adaptation/resilience) and climate benefits.



The overall aim would be to inform participants of the potential of emerging nature markets and engage in constructive dialogue towards identify opportunities and solutions to challenges.



This session would focus on introducing PV Nature, including an overview of the approach and methodology. We would then illustrate the practical applicability with presented case studies from launch projects in Africa, including the ECOTRUST corridor project (Uganda), the ACES mangrove project (Kenya) and Wild is Life elephant landscape project (Zimbabwe).



Following the presentations we would facilitate a panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges of merging biodiversity/nature markets including questions from the floor. We could also offer to host a more informal ‘fireside’ discussion for interested participants, after the main session.



*The Plan Vivo Foundation (PVF) is a registered UK charity that supports vulnerable rural communities, largely in the Global South to develop innovative nature-based solutions (NbS) to reduce poverty, conserve and restore important ecosystems and tackle climate change - through the stewardship of the Plan Vivo Standards/ Certifications. The Standards are a core set of social, environmental and governance requirements that projects must meet to become certified under Plan Vivo. PVF and in-country partners, support communities to pass the rigorous certification process and enable access to finance from nature-markets, including the ecosystems services (ES), voluntary carbon market (VCM) and the emerging voluntary biodiversity market, to support community-led conservation and restoration. Our unique model ensures that at least 60% of benefits go back to the communities on the ground, which has a significant impact on strengthening resilience for vulnerable communities, reducing drivers of deforestation and empowering sustainable land-use choices.