State of Private Investment in Conservation 2016

Conservation investing—intentional investments in companies, funds, and organizations with the goal of generating both a financial return and a measurable environmental result—is growing dramatically. In just two years, the total private capital committed to conservation investments jumped by 62%, to a total committed private capital of $8.2 billion (B)1 tracked from 2004 to 2015. 

 

This is but one of several findings from the second report examining private investment in conservation, following and building upon the 2014 report Investing in Conservation: A landscape assessment of an emerging market.2 This report is offered as the newest in a growing body of research to demonstrate the size, scope, and trends in new and increasing investments in sustainable forestry, agriculture, fisheries, habitat, and water. 

 

The study was prepared for a range of audiences, including institutional investors, high-net-worth individuals and family of offices, pension fund managers, insurance companies, diversified financial institutions, and endowment and foundation asset managers. The analysis shines a light on the opportunities and experiences to date in private investment in conservation with the hope that the resulting knowledge helps to spur increased financing for conservation of forests, water, and biodiversity.