Introduction
Since 2019, Nature-based Solutions has been and remains core to our work focused on addressing climate change. We seek to support innovative nature-based organisations and funds aimed at valuing, protecting, and restoring the world’s natural assets that all living beings depend upon.
The Need We See
Nature is one of the most proven and cost effective emission reduction solutions, absorbing 50% of emissions from human activities—for free. Humanity need nature to survive, relying on it for food, water, medicine and various natural resources. Yet we do not value it enough. WEF research shows Nature-based Solutions (“NbS”) can deliver 1/3 of the emissions mitigation required to reach 1.5°C pathway by 2030, and delivers crucial co-benefits to local communities and biodiversity. NbS also accounts for 10 of the 20 most effective cabon emission reduction solutions listed by Project Drawdown.
Investing in Natural Capital is therefore the most efficient and effective way of valuing, protecting and sustaining the world’s natural assets, mitigating climate change and protecting the natural assets critical for our existence. The “Little Book of Investing in Nature” estimates that natural capital will be worth US$722 – 967 billion/year by 2030. However currently less than 2% of global climate finance is directed to conservation finance, leaving a US$800bn funding gap per year.
Why NbS in Asia?
Asia’s wealth of natural capital generates 30% of its GDP, yet the region has disproportionately underfunded the protection of these important assets. Asia’s runaway economic growth over the last few decades have resulted in widespread deterioration of its land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, resulting in water and food insecurity, as well as increasing vulnerability to climate change.
Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam are among the top ten countries globally at serious risk from climate change, and it is estimated 60% of grasslands in Asia are already degraded, putting up to 135 million people at risk of distress migration over the next 30 years. If nothing changes, by 2050 up to 90% of the coral in South and South-East Asia will also suffer severe degradation, while up to 3.4 billion people will be living in water-stressed areas in Asia.
Our NbS Projects
The Kulawan Initiative
The Kulawan Initiative (“Kulawan”) will deploy catalytic capital towards climate-effective, under-funded, local communities-centred nature-based solutions in Asia. With an emphasis on partnerships, Kulawan supports nature positive organisations and projects to enable more self-sustaining models that can pay for itself, and demonstrate how capital can be recycled and mobilise more capital into this sector. Through Kulawan, we ultimately aim to help contribute to an urgent need to reduce emissions, protect biodiversity, benefit local communities and restore balance between humans and nature.
