International Mother Earth Day 22 April 2024

Nature - Mother Earth's precious gift.

Some personal reflections from Twinkle Malhan.

There is enough evidence, not just in scientific journals but also in the lived experiences of millions of people across the world, that the Earth is in trouble.

Heat waves across Europe[1], biodiversity loss in the Great Barrier Reef[2] and food insecurity in Ethiopia[3] are just some of the many examples of this planetary crisis.

As children of the Earth, we share a combined responsibility to promote and adopt practices to ensure she thrives and continues providing us an environment to thrive.  Mother Earth needs to be replenished with a nutritious dose of green forest cover, clean oceans, and sustainable agricultural practices while reducing the intake of harmful chemical substances.

As an Investment Associate at Climate Asset Management, I’ve had the privilege of being part of a team dedicated to fostering positive change through investments in Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) projects.

Climate Asset Management’s Nature Based Carbon Strategy, and the investors who believe in it, stand as a testament to the potential of leveraging the gifts of the Earth’s resources to combat climate change.

Our current portfolio includes projects like the Restore Africa program in Kenya, Malawi and Uganda, and the Kajiado Rangelands project in Kenya. Both these projects demonstrate mechanisms in which Earth’s own habitats can be used to restore it. Nature-based solutions capitalise on the inherent ability of ecosystems to sequester carbon, restore habitats, and enhance resilience to climate impacts.

Projects like the Restore Africa program showcase the transformative potential of reforestation and afforestation in not only sequestering carbon but also in restoring degraded ecosystems, conserving biodiversity, and supporting local livelihoods.

Similarly, the Kajiado Rangelands project illustrates how sustainable land management practices can mitigate carbon emissions while promoting sustainable grazing practices and supporting the livelihoods of local communities.

These projects highlight the synergies between conservation efforts and sustainable development, emphasising that investing in nature can yield multiple benefits for both people and the planet

Amidst growing concerns about climate change, there’s a temptation  to focus on technological solutions as the quickest and safest options for reducing and removing carbon emissions. While these  technologies evolve and find ways to become scalable and cost effective, nature-based solutions offer a compelling alternative that is both proven and scalable.

The Earth has been naturally sequestering carbon for millions of years through processes like photosynthesis and soil carbon storage. By investing in nature, we can leverage these natural processes to enhance carbon sequestration and build resilience to climate change.

Moreover, nature-based solutions offer a host of co-benefits beyond carbon mitigation, including biodiversity conservation, water purification, and soil erosion control. These co-benefits are invaluable in addressing broader sustainability challenges and promoting ecosystem health.

On this International Mother Earth Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to preserving and conserving nature as a cornerstone of our efforts to address climate change.  Let us recognise the Earth not only as a source of resources but also as a natural solution to the challenges we face.

Together, we can forge a path towards a more sustainable and resilient future, guided by the wisdom of nature.

1.        Europe heatwave 2023: extreme heat spirals into wildfires (redcross.org.uk)

2.       Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its corals since 1995 – BBC News

3.       Climate change wreaks havoc on livelihoods in Ethiopia’s Somali region | World Food Programme (wfp.org)