Join Carolinian Canada, VERGE Capital and SVX on Thursday, May 27th from 9:30 am - 11 am for a virtual Conservation Finance Showcase to learn about innovative financing tools that can protect and accelerate healthy landscapes and to provide direct input on the scale-up of a conservation impact bond for a critical ecosystem in Canada.

This session will feature an overview of conservation finance and the conservation impact bond concept and provide an in-depth overview of live case study in Canada, including the successful pilot and the design for the phase two bond. Learn more about the project here and read our most recent article in partnership with the SVX.

This open event is a great learning and engagement opportunity for individuals, institutions, foundations, public policy leaders, and community leaders in Southwestern Ontario that are interested in nature-based solutions that can accelerate healthy landscapes and grow a green economy, while honouring Indigenous ways of living and supporting local communities.

Agenda
9:30 - 9:40 AM: Welcome, Introductions and Stage Setting
9:40 - 10:10 AM: Conservation Finance Primer and Audience Discussion
10:10  - 10:35 AM: Phase Two Conservation Impact Bond Design and Discussion
10:35 - 10:55 AM: Audience Breakout Discussions
10:55 - 11:00 AM: Wrap-up and Next Steps

Partners

About the Conservation Impact Bond (CIB)

The Carolinian Conservation Impact Bond (CIB) connects First Nations and other communities in the spirit of the Indigenous tradition of One Dish One Spoon agreements - to share and care for the land, together.  The Carolinian CIB is a unique investment offering that combines a financial return for the investors with impacts created by healthy landscape improvements in the Carolinian Zone.

Read More About The Carolinian Conservation Impact Bond (CIB)

Carolinian Canada Coalition and collaborators have a goal to restore health landscapes on 1,000 acres of land in the zone. The Carolinian CIB will be rolled out in phases. The Deshkan Ziibi Conservation Impact Bond was the phase one prototype, raising $130,000 to restore 150 acres which launched in 2019. It is hoped that Carolinian Canada can mobilize $2 million by 2023 to meet its target of restoring 1,000 acres of land in the zone.

About Carolinian Canada

Carolinian Canada is a network of leaders growing healthy landscapes for a green future in the Carolinian Zone, Canada’s extraordinary far south, in the spirit and practice of reconciliation. We connect science, community and business for healthy ecosystems and climate-smart neighbourhoods from Toronto to Windsor, Ontario. Read About Carolinian Canada

Our cross-sector platforms connect 300 groups, 5,000 volunteers and 37,000 hectares to save local wildlife, water and our way of life; and support 14 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

About SVX

SVX is an impact investing platform for ventures, funds and investors seeking social and/or environmental impact alongside the potential for financial return.  We provide a single access point for raising capital and making investments. See our platform here.

We work across sectors including cleantech, health, work and learning, food, and social inclusion, providing support to enterprises focused on early cancer detection to community power co-operatives producing renewable energy.  We work to help them raise capital so they can focus on their business.

We work with all investors, from foundations and family offices to everyday investors, to help them identify opportunities and to support their decision-making efforts so they can match their money with meaning.

About VERGE Capital

VERGE Capital is a social finance program of Pillar Nonprofit Network that connects social enterprises with caring investors in their community, redirecting wealth to help tackle our region’s most challenging social and environmental issues.

Our two place-based loan funds provide flexible and patient capital to both new and established social enterprises across Southwestern Ontario. Learn more about us here

CONSERVATION FINANCE SHOWCASE: SCALING A CONSERVATION IMPACT BOND FOR ONTARIO’S CAROLINIAN ZONE