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Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Biodiverse Landscapes Fund
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The UK’s £100 million Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF) aims to reduce poverty, protect and restore biodiversity and lessen the impact of climate change in six environmentally critical landscapes across the globe. These are: - The Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area, covering areas of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. - Mesoamerica, covering areas of Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. - Western Congo Basin, covering areas of Cameroon, Gabon and Republic of Congo. - Andes Amazon, covering areas of Ecuador and Peru. - Lower Mekong, covering areas of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. - Madagascar. The BLF has 3 core aims: - people: to develop economic opportunities through investment in nature in support of climate adaptation and resilience and poverty reduction. - nature: to slow, halt or reverse biodiversity loss in globally significant regions for biodiversity. - climate: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and safeguard natural carbon sinks. It will meet these aims by: - reducing poverty and creating sustainable economic development for communities living in, and dependent upon, environmentally precious landscapes. - protecting and restoring ecosystems and biologically diverse landscapes helping to mitigate climate change by preserving carbon sinks and ecosystems. - addressing the causes of environmental degradation. - supporting national and local governments, park authorities and communities to achieve long-term sustainable management and use of natural resources Funding will be distributed across the landscapes according to demands and needs.
The eco.business Fund
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The eco.business fund is a public-private partnership investment fund which aims to shift incentives in financial institutions (i.e. Banks) towards investing in nature, by embedding social and environmental risk into investment decisions, catalysing transformational change in the financial sector. The fund will increase lending to businesses which incorporate sustainable practices that contribute to biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of natural resources, climate change mitigation and adaptation to its impact across South America: Ecuador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Colombia, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru.
The Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (ISFL) - Bio Carbon Fund
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
A multilateral project administered by the World Bank which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the land use sector through sustainable landscape management, whilst improving the livelihoods of forest communities. The ISFL combines upfront technical assistance with results-based finance which rewards countries which implement landscape-level approaches that reduce emissions from the forest and land-use sector. ISFL works with 5 countries: Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Mexico and Zambia. Defra is supporting programmes in Indonesia and Zambia with upfront finance and potentially all countries with results based finance.
Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures programme
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
Defra is one of the largest funders of the global, market-led, and science-based Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) initiative. The TNFD recommendations and supporting implementation guidance enable organisations to assess, report, and act on their evolving nature-related risks, opportunities, impacts, and dependencies, with the ultimate aim of supporting a shift in global financial flows towards nature-positive outcomes and achieving the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Defra contributed £2,626,855 to support the TNFD initiative’s two-year open innovation ‘design and development’ phase, which culminated in the launch of the final TNFD corporate reporting recommendations on nature-related risk management and disclosure in September 2023 at New York Climate Week. From November 2021 – November 2022, Defra also contributed £1,675,000 to fund a TNFD African Voice pilot programme, with Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) acting as the delivery partner. This funding was used to secure engagement by African financial institutions, governments, and central banks, with the aim of ensuring that the TNFD framework is fit for purpose in African contexts. In addition, this funding supported the production of a report examining the materiality of nature-related risks for financial institutions in African contexts. At COP28 in December 2023, the Defra Secretary of State announced an additional £2 million funding to support the TNFD initiative’s uptake phase, which is focused on encouraging and enabling voluntary market adoption across sectors and geographies, and supporting efforts to address the knowledge, capacity building and data needs of market participants.
Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP)
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) brings together governments, businesses, and civil society to tackle plastic pollution and increase investment in circular economy approaches in ODA-eligible countries. GPAP’s intended impact is to improve the environment in partner countries by reducing municipal waste while improving the livelihoods of people involved in the waste sector or impacted by plastic pollution. This is achieved principally through (1) the creation of public-private stakeholder collaboration platforms called National Plastic Action Partnerships (NPAPs) and (2) targeted training and assistance for informal waste sector workers. NPAPs are impartial and inclusive stakeholder coordination groups that bring together influential stakeholders across the plastics value chain, including policymakers, consumer goods businesses, non-governmental organisations and waste sector representatives. The partnerships’ work in each country focuses on establishing baselines for pollution, standardising metrics and creating national action plans and roadmaps, all of which inform national waste management policy.
United Nations Development Programme: Climate Promise
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The UNDP Climate Promise programme helps developing countries implement their national climate pledges – Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The programme aims to increase ambition, implementation and engagement for NDCs under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Defra's contribution focuses on the Forest, Land and Nature work area, contributing to increase the representation of nature in 8 countries’ NDCs through to COP27, the Global Stocktake in 2023 and to 2026. Project activities include: - Supporting countries in assessing the extent to which nature could contribute to meet climate targets, and establishing the steps required to meet this potential; - Supporting countries to develop detailed delivery plans and policies across relevant sectors that would enable them to maximise the role of nature in reaching the Paris climate goal; - Supporting countries in implementing delivery plans and policies, so that commitments and targets could be delivered through concrete actions. The UNDP Climate Promise aligns with the Prime Minister’s commitment of at least £3 billion of ICF to climate change solutions that protect and restore nature and biodiversity over five years, HMG’s Integrated Review, Response to the Dasgupta Review and COP26 commitments including the Glasgow Leaders Declaration.
Ocean Country Partnership Programme
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) supports countries to manage the marine environment more sustainably, including by strengthening marine science expertise, developing science-based policy and management tools and creating educational resources for coastal communities. The programme is funded through official development assistance (ODA) as part of the UK’s £500 million Blue Planet Fund. Through the OCPP, the UK government partners with ODA-eligible countries to deliver positive impacts for coastal communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems. Bilateral partnerships under the OCPP are primarily delivered by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), agencies of the UK government that possess unique expertise in marine science and management. The OCPP also funds two international initiatives that align with its aims and help to develop global public goods, the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP) and the Friends of Ocean Action (FOA). GOAP is a global, multi-stakeholder partnership established to enable countries and other stakeholders to effectively measure and manage progress towards sustainable ocean development. FOA is a platform hosted by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the World Resources Institute, which brings together ocean leaders from a wide range of sectors to encourage action and investment into sustainable ocean projects. GOAP and FOA are both strategic partners of the OCPP, and are funded by the Blue Planet Fund (BPF). They do however remain independent organisations from OCPP, BPF, and Defra. Their work, and its intended outcomes and impacts, are strategically aligned with the OCPP and complement its programming in bilateral partnerships. GOAP and FOA were originally developed as separate business cases under the BPF, then in 2022 introduced as integrated components under OCPP to provide a clearer overall BPF offer to recipient countries. The investment to GOAP supports ODA-eligible countries to develop 'ocean accounts' to more accurately and comprehensively capture data on the natural capital assets contained within their oceans. Using this data - and through further technical, advisory, and capacity building support - GOAP aims to ensure that biodiversity is valued and integrated into policy making, decision making, and infrastructure investments in these countries, resulting in the inclusive and sustainable use and management of the ocean. An initial investment of £1million was awarded to GOAP in FY 2021/2. Following good performance in year one, a further £6million of investment was awarded, split evenly over FY's 2022/3, 23/4, and 24/5; giving a total of £7million. From December 2023, following evidence of strong value for money, this investment has since been uplifted to a total of £14.2million, involving new and expanded scope for certain activities, as well as extending the strategic partnership into FY 2025/6. FOA is a multi-stakeholder platform hosted by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the World Resources Institute, which brings together ocean leaders from a wide range of sectors to encourage action and investment into sustainable ocean projects. FOA, working closely with the High Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy, aims to mobilise ocean leaders to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. Through OCPP the investment supports pillars of FOA's work that strategically align with OCPP's own outcomes. There was an initial investment of £1million to FOA in FY 2021/2. After FOA performed well against investment and performance criteria in year one, a further investment of £2million was awarded in both FY's 2022/3 and 2023/4; rounding total investment for FOA to £5million.
Global Fund For Coral Reefs (GFCR)
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
Coral reefs are amongst the most valuable ecosystems on earth, harbouring the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem, supporting 25% of marine life and providing a myriad of benefits to thousands of species. The Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) is a project within the Blue Planet Fund portfolio. The GFCR is the first Multi-partner Trust Fund for Sustainable Development Goal 14. It provides finance for coral reefs with particular attention on Small Island Developing States. The GFCR promotes a ‘protect-transform-restore-recover’ approach through the creation and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to save and protect coral reefs in the face of serious decline and extinction. The GFCR has four main outcomes: Protect priority coral reef sites and climate change-affected refugia Transforming the livelihoods of coral reef-dependent communities Restoration and adaptation technologies Recovery of coral reef-dependent communities to major shocks
Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) Fund Investment
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBF Fund), is a competitive, international nature fund to support ODA-eligible countries to implement the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), by providing project funding to protect and enhance biodiversity. It will support the development and implementation of sustainable biodiversity-based products, services and activities that enhance biodiversity, to generate social, economic and environmental benefits. Investments are pooled and the GBF Fund is designed to maximise additional finance leveraged from the private sector to further boost investment to biodiversity and create sustainable financial flows.
Achieving sustainable forest management through community managed protected areas in Madagascar
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
This project aims to reduce deforestation and forest degradation within Madagascar’s national park network by supporting community and regional authorities to manage and monitor natural resources more effectively. It also seeks to transform the way in which communities use the forest by investing in sustainable farming practices and alternative livelihoods. By demonstrating proof of concept for community-based forest management, this project seeks to help communities to attract new investment and access market-based opportunities that guarantee the long-term financial sustainability of the protected area network. In this way, the project aims to create a successful model that could be replicated across the protected area network.
Global Environment Facility (GEF) 7th Replenishment
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
To support developing countries to implement international agreements on climate change, biodiversity, land degradation and harmful chemicals as integral elements of sustainable development. GEF’s other activities include sustainable forest management, international waters and protecting the ozone layer.
Supporting the Pest Identification Service for ODA eligible UK Overseas Territories
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
Provision of identification service for invasive invertebrate plant pests for the UKOTs which can impact upon biodiversity and commercial interests and rapid advice when bio-security threats are detected. ODA funding is being used to support the provision of that service in ODA eligible territories.
Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Change Programme
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
Funding from UK government to deliver excellent climate research to provide an improved understanding of past climate and enable better projections to underpin national scientific capability and inform domestic and international policy commitments (e.g. Climate Change Act 2008 and UNFCCC negotiations). Climate models and underpinning science developed using MOHCCP funding are publically available and used as the foundation for many projects that aim to build resilience to a changing climate in developing countries. The models are used for developing systems in developing countries to produce climate projections. For example, the models have been used to analyse drought in the Horn of Africa, climate change impacts in Bangladesh and to build resilience to climate change in the Philippines.
Annual contribution to the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO)
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
This UK Government contribution is for EPPO which is an intergovernmental organization responsible for cooperation in plant health within the Euro-Mediterranean region. Founded in 1951 by 15 European countries, EPPO now has 52 members (shown in green on the map). Its objectives are to protect plants, by developing international strategies against the introduction and spread of pests which are a threat to agriculture, forestry and the environment, and by promoting safe and effective pest control methods. Following the terms of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), EPPO is a Regional Plant Protection Organization and thus participates in global discussions on plant health. EPPO is a standard-setting organization which has produced a large number of Standards in the areas of plant protection products and plant quarantine. These Standards constitute recommendations that are addressed to the National Plant Protection Organizations of EPPO member countries. Finally, EPPO promotes the exchange of information between its member countries by maintaining information services and databases on plant pests, and by organizing many conferences and workshops.
Funding to build capacity and support cross-border action on the conservation of wildlife within countries in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA)
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The funding will be used to support KAZA countries to develop African-led trans-frontier approaches to support conservation of wildlife, including iconic species such as elephants through efforts in integrated land-use planning, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, community livelihoods and illegal wildlife trade. This funding will be used to provide technical assistance and build capacity within the KAZA countries to address areas for immediate action, provide a foundation for future work programmes and support access to wider funding options.
Establishing and enhancing veterinary surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
This project aims to help establish effective surveillance for longer term capacity building for AMR in the terrestrial and aquatic veterinary sectors in selected LMICs, and to enhance veterinary medicines regulatory training.
UK Annual Contributions to the Montreal Protocol Trust Fund, Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund and Vienna Convention Trust Fund
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
This activity supports an annual UK contribution to The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer which is a multilateral environmental agreement with universal ratification. It regulates the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODS). Protection of the ozone layer is vital in preventing increased UV radiation, resulting in higher incidence of skin cancers and eye cataracts, more-compromised immune systems, and negative effects on watersheds, agricultural lands and forests. The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol was established in 1991. The Fund's objective is to provide financial and technical assistance to developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol whose annual per capita consumption and production of ODS is less than 0.3 kg to comply with the control measures of the Protocol. The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer is a multilateral environmental agreement signed in 1985 that provided frameworks for international reductions in the production of chlorofluorocarbons due to their contribution to the destruction of the ozone layer, resulting in an increased threat of skin cancer.
Annual contribution to the United Nations Environment Trust Fund of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
This activity supports an annual UK contribution to the IPBES. IPBES is a science-policy platform providing comprehensive, credible and legitimate scientific knowledge about Earth’s essential life support systems and their contribution to human well-being; as well as tools and local capacity to help decision makers around the world identify solutions to pressures on ecosystems, sustainable use of natural resources and related poverty. Contributions to the IPBES Trust Fund are used to meet the running costs and support developing country expert engagement in delivering the work programme agreed by member governments at the Plenary meetings.
Funding to support delivery of ODA eligible programming delivered by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew provides an international centre of expertise and benefits to developing countries, including through collections and seed banks, agricultural science including collaboration with the ODA eligible Global Crop Diversity Trust, plant health including diagnosis of plant pests and diseases and biosecurity, capacity building (CBD, CITES, Nagoya Protocol, IPBES), M&E of ICF, advice on climate change resilience.
Supporting Montserrat and St Helena to enhance welfare and development through improved environmental management.
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
This programme is delivered by JNCC and aims to improve environmental management. This includes better management of water resources, fisheries and landscapes and to enhance economic security, welfare and development of local communities dependent on the natural environment for their livelihoods. This includes farmers dependent on scarce water resources and island communities where better fisheries management increases food supply and incomes. Landscape scale management enhances security of food and water supply and reduces vulnerability to natural disasters such as drought or storm associated flooding and coastal hurricane storm surge.
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