MANILA, PHILIPPINES (22 April 2021) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) today agreed to a new partnership for action on nature-positive investments, environmental sustainability, and action on climate change throughout Asia and the Pacific.
The partnership, announced during Earth Day celebrations, will focus on biodiversity and ecosystem protection and restoration; nature-based solutions and sustainable infrastructure; coastal resilience; finance for oceans, freshwater, and biodiversity; sustainable urban planning and development; and gender integration and poverty reduction in nature conservation.
“Strengthening our partnership with TNC comes at a critical time,” said ADB Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development Bambang Susantono. “The coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) has been a wake-up call on the importance of protecting ecosystems and biodiversity to protect humanity. It’s vital that we make the recovery from COVID-19 a green and inclusive recovery. We must take actions that address the root causes of the pandemic and avoid future infectious zoonotic disease outbreaks, promote good health, create jobs that are fit for the future, and support women’s empowerment and economic well-being through nature-positive investments.”
"The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have also revealed the power and importance of collaboration to address complex issues with the urgency they require,” said TNC Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Morris. “The Nature Conservancy and the Asian Development Bank are demonstrating to the world the power of cross-sector partnerships and community-based conservation to create a brighter future for people and nature.”
Under the joint 2-year work plan, ADB and TNC will pilot initiatives aimed at sustainable management of coastal ecosystems and catalyzing investment in development planning tools and digital technologies which will improve ecosystem management, while contributing to ADB’s Action Plan for Healthy Oceans and Sustainable Blue Economies.
ADB and TNC will cooperate on technical assistance support for coral reef restoration through an innovative financing and insurance initiative. The partnership will also yield knowledge products and activities that will integrate gender equity in promoting nature preservation and climate action.
TNC is a charitable environmental organization founded in 1951 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, United States. TNC currently impacts conservation in over 70 countries worldwide and has several national affiliates.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.
