Scaling Impact: Conservation International and Bregal Sphere announce first-of-its-kind partnership dedicated to scaling nature-based carbon removal within agricultural landscapes

ARLINGTON, Va. (July 18, 2024) – Through a partnership announced today, Conservation International will serve as impact advisor to Bregal Investments’ dedicated natural capital strategy, Bregal Sphere Nature.

Bregal Sphere Nature targets investments in high-quality Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects that aim to protect and restore nature, combat climate change and biodiversity loss and support livelihoods for farming communities at scale.

Capital will be invested into long-term carbon removal projects in and around agricultural value chains, with a focus on helping corporates achieve ambitious Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) targets, and other nature-related commitments. The Strategy will also invest in complementary reforestation projects in adjacent landscapes and mangrove restoration activities.

The protection and restoration of nature is critical to mitigate and adapt to climate change, yet the United Nations Environment Programme predicts an annual $520 billion gap for NbS by 2050. While private capital should play a crucial role in addressing this gap and the global climate and nature crises, the private sector contributed just 18% of total NbS investment in 2023.

The new partnership aims to help address this financing gap by leveraging Conservation International’s 35+ years of experience in conservation and restoration with Bregal’s historical track record of managing and raising private capital funds. Together, the partnership will aim to deliver high-integrity, high-impact NbS projects with robust impact criteria, alongside financial returns.

As part of the Strategy’s development, Conservation International will provide impact advisory services to Bregal Sphere Nature, including supporting the development of internal processes and frameworks and ensuring alignment with best practice guidelines for conservation and restoration.

To help ensure impact is embedded throughout the investment cycle, Conservation International is also expected to support the development of an Impact Advisory Committee and to chair the Committee – helping to de-risk projects and ensure consistent alignment with the Strategy’s impact criteria.

“Smallholder farmers worldwide suffer from the joint threats of biodiversity loss and climate change. Carbon finance offers an incredible opportunity to slash on-farm emissions – something we must achieve this decade for a climate-safe future,” said Bjorn Stauch, SVP, Conservation Finance at Conservation International. “The solutions funded will also promote biodiversity, secure the future viability of agricultural supply chains, and protect the livelihoods of the farmers who depend on them. We are excited to be working with Bregal on this initiative to mobilize finance and ensure that the impact of these investments is maximized for people, nature, and climate."

“We are thrilled to partner with Conservation International, one of the leading non-profit organizations working in nature-based solutions, to help maximize our impact. Restoring nature and the services it provides is essential for transforming at-risk agricultural landscapes into productive and resilient carbon sinks. Bregal Sphere Nature is building a coalition that aims to drive this change at scale and pace,” said Agustin Silvani, Managing Partner of Bregal Sphere Nature. “Previously, we announced our investment in PUR, a pioneering project developer in the insetting space, and our partnership with Conservation International will help us to contribute and play our part in this decade of restoration."

Conservation Internation and Bregal Sphere also invite interested parties to register to learn more about the partnership and scaling climate-resilient supply chains at their upcoming Climate Week NYC event. Register here.

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About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Go to Conservation.org for more, and follow our work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

About the Bregal Sphere Platform: Bregal Sphere is an impact investing platform launched by Bregal Investments in October 2022. Bregal Sphere aims to invest targeted capital to help address key societal and environmental challenges in a responsible and sustainable way. These impact investments are made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside financial return. Bregal Sphere’s first investment was in PUR, a leading global nature-based solutions developer and pioneer in the development of insetting within corporate supply chains. For more information about Bregal Sphere, visit ww.bregalsphere.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Bregal Investments: Bregal Investments (“Bregal”) is a leading private equity investment firm providing a platform for its family of direct investment and fund-of-funds teams. Bregal manages over €18 billion in assets across its strategies and has closed over 150 direct investments and invested in more than 200 funds. The Bregal platform focuses on long-term sustainable value creation and provides access to private equity, growth equity, credit, fund-of-fund, and natural capital strategies. Headquartered in London and New York, Bregal has more than 275 employees across its nine offices. For more information about Bregal Investments, visit www.bregal.com or follow us on LinkedIn.