Climate Asset Management joins Global EverGreening Alliance and AFR100 for a four-day African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) Land Restoration Forum in Kampala, Uganda

• Representatives from up to 15 African countries in attendance
• Forum will encourage exchange and dialogue in relation to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, with a focus on Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM) and carbon programme integration into livelihood programming
• Objective to foster a collaborative framework and roadmap for action towards COP 27 and beyond

Just one month after the successful launch of the Global EverGreening Alliance’s Restore Africa Programme announced in Nairobi 23 May, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) is hosting a four-day Land Restoration Forum at the Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala from 21st – 24th June.

Delegates attending the conference are expected to include government ministers and officials from 15 African countries, including the six countries already participating in the Restore Africa Programme – Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia and Tasmania.  Also in attendance will be corporate investors, donors, the United Nations, research and technical organisations, NGOs and civil society.

The Forum is bringing delegates together with the aim to:

• create a collaborative space with key stakeholders to design and deliver large scale, grassroots-driven land restoration programs, which contribute to the delivery of AFR100 commitments and UNFCCC NDCs of participating countries;
• foster exchange and dialogue in relation to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, with a focus to Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM) to support implementing partners on carbon programme integration into livelihood programming;
• support creation of enabling environments and policy reforms;
• identify climate financing investment opportunities and co-financing mechanisms;
• present best practices, integrated programme management, and monitoring of integrated carbon offsetting and landscape restoration projects and
• develop a collaborative framework and roadmap for action towards COP27 and beyond.

The Global EverGreening Alliance together with key national stakeholders, is coordinating what is reputedly the largest ever smallholder farmer-led land restoration program to be funded by private investment: the Restore Africa Programme. Restore Africa will accelerate and scale-up the adoption of contextually appropriate agroforestry practices, whilst drawing down and storing carbon in the landscape across the East and Southern African Region. The project will significantly contribute to the AFR100, which aims to bring at least 100 million hectares of degraded land under restoration by 2030.

Climate Asset Management is supporting the Forum and will work with participants to build capacity for more informed decision-making around Article 6, carbon project requirements and investment opportunities.

Last month, Climate Asset Management and the Alliance jointly launched Restore Africa Programme: Restoring Landscapes and livelihoods in East and Southern Africa, with a commitment to invest USD150 million.

“We are delighted to be participating in this Land Restoration Forum in Kampala. We look forward to four days of debate and discussion particularly focused on the application of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, as well as understanding and consensus on carbon project requirements and investment opportunities.  The Restore Africa Programme is one of those rare win-win-win opportunities by improving the livelihoods and food security for 1.5 million small holder farmers and their communities across Southern and Eastern Africa; by helping countries deliver on their NDCs, by generating carbon credits for corporations with net zero commitments; and ultimately by creating a more climate resilient world for generations to come.” said Caroline van Tilborg, Senior Carbon Investment Manager at Climate Asset Management

“Our Restore Africa Programme demonstrates a new model for funding large-scale development initiatives, which puts the people directly impacted by climate change first, and in the process, creates more resilient landscapes.” – Chris Armitage, CEO, Global EverGreening Alliance

“The restoration agenda is an urgent imperative in Africa, necessitated by need to inspire hope for communities ravaged by effects of climate change and dwindling land productivity. Leveraging carbon finance plugs the gap in resourcing that has impeded programmatic action at scale and facilitates learning in context together with local communities and the private sector. The investment by Climate Asset Management is a stitch in time that breaks ground for demonstrating how private sector investments can be executed to meet the triple goals of climate action, land restoration and biodiversity conservation at transformative scale” added Jonathan Muriuki, Interim Manager, Restore Africa Programme

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

About the Global EverGreening Alliance

The Global EverGreening Alliance is an iNGO that brings together leading research, technical, environmental and development organisations to build on our shared vision of restoring degraded lands. Functioning as a collaborative platform, the Alliance harnesses our members and partners’ collective strengths, capacities and networks to coordinate, develop and implement massive-scale land restoration programmes. www.evergreening.org/

About Climate Asset Management

Climate Asset Management was formed in 2020 as a joint venture of HSBC Asset Management and Pollination, with the ambition to grow the world’s largest asset management company dedicated to natural capital. Its investment strategies seek to work across landscapes to build resilience whilst generating returns. Through its Natural Capital Strategy, Climate Asset Management aims to deliver attractive, long-term returns and create impact at scale by protecting and restoring vital biodiversity. Through its Nature Based Carbon Strategy, it aims to unlock the supply of high impact carbon credits for corporates and investors seeking to achieve net zero. Climate Asset Management aims to raise $USD1.6 billion with these two strategies.  www.climateassetmanagement.com

About AFR100

AFR100 (the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative) is a country-led effort to bring 100 million hectares of land in Africa into restoration by 2030. It aims to accelerate restoration to enhance food security, increase climate change resilience and mitigation, and combat rural poverty. AFR100 is a partnership of 31 African governments and numerous technical and financial partners. https://afr100.org/

Additional Background Information on the Restore Africa Programme

The programme will follow a staged approach with the first nature based carbon project starting in Kenya, followed by Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Zambia. The Global Evergreening Alliance’s Restore Africa programme is one  of the world’s largest and most ambitious large-scale restoration programmes. To learn more about the Restore Africa programme, visit www.evergreening.org/restoreafrica/

Media Contacts

Global EverGreening Alliance

Sally Armitage, Media & Communications Lead sally.armitage@evergreening.org | +61 458 432 820

AFR100

Teko Nhlapho, Communications and Advocacy Officer tekoh@nepad.org  | +27 83 596 8752

Climate Asset Management

Ben Thompson, Marketing and Communications Consultant ben.thompson@climateassetmanagement.com | +44 7837 408421

Caroline van Tilborg, Senior Carbon Investment Manager caroline.vantilborg@climateassetmanagement.com | + 31 6 83792828