2010 Annual Report 

Rolling up our sleeves

• Worked with local partners to restore a natural spring near the South African village of Leliefontein by removing invasive poplar trees from a nearby wetland, resulting in the reclamation of 26,000 liters of water per day — a critical freshwater resource in the arid region. Learn more »

• Collaborated with local government authorities and partner Shanshui to establish the Pingwu Water Fund in China's Sichuan Province. The fund compensates upstream communities for forest conservation that protects critical watersheds. Learn more »

• Developed a train-the-trainers course entitled "Climate Change and the Role of Forests" to increase knowledge in indigenous and local communities on issues related to climate change and activities that may impact their lands and livelihoods. The course is available in six languages, and has been conducted in seven countries. Additional trainings have also taken place where attendees have led the course in their own communities. Learn more »

• Continued to manage a global portfolio of 20 forest carbon pilot projects that cover more than 700,000 hectares of forest. Through reforestation and forest protection efforts, these projects will reduce emissions by an estimated 19.7 million tons over 30 years. Learn more »

• Awarded $1.47 million in "green" loans to six businesses in two countries through CI's Verde Ventures — a lending program that invests in small- and medium-sized businesses that contribute to conserving Earth's biologically richest and most threatened areas. Learn more »

• Created, in partnership with local government authorities, the Philippines' largest locally established and first-ever "climate SMART" marine protected area (MPA). The Looc-Lubang MPA was planned with ecological resilience in mind to buffer it from the impacts of climate change. This MPA is a capstone in the five years of investment in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape which fostered a 242 percent increase in the total marine area under some form of protection, secured a 79 percent increase in total no-take zone area, and facilitated the development of governance and institutional mechanisms that are now leading examples of how to deliver marine conservation at scale. Learn more »

Scaling up our successes

• Supported the government of Ecuador with the implementation of Programa Socio Bosque — a national program that directly provides financial compensation to people in exchange for their forest protection efforts. The program has improved the living conditions of more than one million people and led to the protection of more than 540,000 hectares (1.3+ million acres) of forest and other native ecosystems. Learn more »

• Established a state-wide framework for tackling climate change in Chiapas, Mexico — one of the first climate plans that will integrate mitigation and adaptation planning and activities at this scale. Learn more »

• Worked with the government of Liberia to develop a national low-carbon economic development plan that examines the costs and benefits of development scenarios across a range of sectors, including timber, forest protection and agriculture. One finding: The carbon market could bring Liberia annual revenues of at least $55 million. Learn more »

• Celebrated 20 years of CI-Madagascar which, despite recent political turmoil, has helped to create 38 new protected areas covering three million hectares by partnering with more than 150 local NGOs and 500 community associations. Learn more »

• Partnered with local communities and the Cambodian Fisheries Administration to develop an expanded freshwater sanctuary on the Tonle Sap floodplain, in which native forest has been replanted and artificial reefs installed. This seasonally flooded forest is vital to Cambodia's freshwater ecosystem, as it provides breeding grounds for migrating fish in the Mekong River basin and supports the most productive freshwater fishery in the world — and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on it. Learn more »

Engaging the private sector

• Received $1 million from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation toward REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation "plus" conservation, the sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks) projects, which sets a private-sector leadership example that could help catalyze public and multilateral financing commitments to fund forest projects around the globe. Learn more »

• Partnered with Marriott International to design and manage a community-based conservation program in China's Sichuan Province. The project site is an important upstream section of the Yangtze River watershed, which supplies half of China's agricultural production — including two-thirds of the country's rice. Learn more »

• Awarded "gold" level certification — the highest level possible — under the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards for the Toyota-supported Peñablanca Sustainable Reforestation Project in the Philippines. The project has planted around one million trees on more than 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres), paving the way for increased carbon capture, decreased soil erosion, increased water storage capacity and a resurgence of bird populations on reforested lands. The local communities whose livelihoods benefit from the forest are also being trained to maintain the project activities. Learn more »

• Secured a $7 million commitment from the Walt Disney Company to develop large-scale REDD+ implementation programs in Peru and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — the single largest corporate commitment to REDD+ to date. Learn more »

• Established an Asia-Pacific Business and Sustainability Council with 12 founding members, and held meetings in Singapore and Shanghai. The meetings brought together major corporations to discuss pressing topics in regional business sustainability, including fresh water, forest conservation and corporate sustainability metrics. Learn more »

Advancing global solutions

• Contributed to discussions by parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), whose decision in December in Cancun, Mexico, put the world back on track to establish a comprehensive global agreement on climate change action. CI staff participated throughout the year and at all levels to leverage CI's field experience and scientific expertise for policy impact. Learn more »

• Secured $3.11 million from the government of Norway for three years of implementation of CI REDD+ demonstration activities in Madagascar and Peru. Learn more »

• Opened a CI office in Brussels, Belgium — an effort led by CI's Center for Conservation and Government aimed at accelerating CI's policy engagement at the European level and ensuring that conservation is at the heart of European Union decisions. Learn more »

• Continued working with key partners to develop the Ocean Health Index. Like the Dow Jones, the Ocean Health Index will provide a global baseline measurement to unify and catalyze effective ocean resource management. This global assessment, a historical first, is nearing completion of the first annual rating, as teams of scientists collect and analyze data on over 50 indicators. The Index rating establishes a common language and reference point to inform and align policy and efforts to revitalize our ocean waters. Learn more »

• Worked with partners and our Indigenous Advisory Group to effectively implement the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples throughout CI programs, in international fora and in conjunction with national governments. Our work is strengthened by the fact that the US government, one of only four countries originally in opposition, signed the Declaration in December 2010. Learn more »