A 3-Part Framework for Benefit Permanence
By Nicci Mander and Hank Cauley Climate-impacted communities can harness nature to build resilience and enhance well-being alongside contributing to global climate mitigation objectives. This use of nature-based solutions to advance social justice lies at the heart of Nature For Justice’s (N4J) global mission. But for external stakeholders supporting such endeavours–foundations, companies, and investors–what ensures […]
The Nature-based Solution Ecosystem
The nature-based solution ecosystem for generating carbon credits is currently unbalanced and needs fixing. Investments to align various parts of the ecosystem, such as donor support for registries like Verra and addressing supply issues through the Core Carbon Principles developed by the ICVCM, follow a theory of change that assumes the market will self-correct to […]
Origination: The Importance of Designing Beyond Carbon
Bring the Focus Back to the People When creating a Nature-based Solution project, carbon should not be the first priority, but the last. That means a project must provide benefits for the communities involved, first and foremost, to enhance financial stability, improve quality of life, and promote dignity. Without those, forget about permanence. By restoring, […]
What’s Needed for More “Shovel-Ready” Carbon Projects
Despite the recent press slamming certain types of carbon credit projects, demand for high quality Nature-based Solution (NbS) voluntary carbon credits continues to grow. Independent groups like the Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets (ICVCM) are defining integrity through their Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) and we strongly endorse them. As Nature For Justice (N4J) develops […]
7 Attributes of a Just Investor
Nature For Justice (N4J) is a social justice organization focused on supporting frontline communities experiencing the impacts of our changing climate. As our Annual Wrap-up for 2023 described, we have made progress in creating programs in Canada with First Nations, the USA with Black farmers, and across a variety of African countries with small-holder agriculturalists. […]
Our Focus: Communities and Project Integrity
Nature For Justice has engaged with hundreds of nonprofits, civil society groups, businesses, and communities of faith who work at the local level, most of whom have reached out to us to learn about Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and the opportunity to access funds for launching their own NbS projects. These climate project proponents represent hundreds […]
5 Barriers to Entry in Nature-based Carbon Projects
Nature for Justice’s (N4J) experience with the request for nature-based carbon project proposals in Africa, which we are also contemplating in Canada with First Nations, has generated an enormous amount of interest. Despite the holiday period in the U.S., we received over 70 proposals by mid-January. While many proposals did not meet the requirements for […]
Evaluating Potential Nature-based Solution Projects: Systematically and Fairly
Last year, we founded an Africa Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Program and secured the commitment of major investors for the development and implementation of socially inclusive, large-scale and long- term projects that are consistent with our strategy to identify and work with local groups and their existing trust networks. Our objective is to develop at least […]
