Pan-Africa Miombo initiative welcomes expert partners to drive native species restoration at scale for Article 6
New York, 26 September 2024 – The Miombo Initiative, a partnership between 11 central and southern African nations dedicated to conserving and sustainably managing one of Africa's most significant and expansive forest ecosystems, is excited to introduce the Miombo Restoration Alliance.
Pictured during Climate Week NYC 2024, a reception to launch the Miombo Restoration Alliance was attended by H.E. Lazarus Chakwera, President of Malawi; H.E. Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, President of Botswana; H.E. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of Mozambique; Julius Court, Chief Operating Officer, Conservation International; John B. Gantt, Chief Executive Officer, The ICCF Group; Hannah Hauman, Global Head of Carbon Trading, Trafigura, amongst representatives of the US government, NGOs and other central and southern African nations.
Led by the ICCF Group as secretariat, with Trafigura as a founding member, and Conservation International as the adviser to the Alliance to help ensure restoration efforts achieve positive environmental, climate, and community outcomes, the Alliance will work with countries across the Miombo woodlands on greenfield native species restoration projects.
The Alliance will create a robust framework to underpin a USD$500 million investment in large-scale native species restoration projects to produce carbon removals under Article 6. The Alliance intends to broaden its scope by incorporating partners with regional expertise in technical fields, environmental stewardship, and community engagement, alongside world class capital partners to ensure the successful development and implementation of these restoration efforts.
These projects will target the reversal of environmental degradation while fostering sustainable ecosystems across the Miombo Corridor, which spans approximately 1 million square miles in southern and central Africa. Several high-potential opportunities have been identified and feasibility studies are underway.
Adopted in Maputo, Mozambique in August 2022, the Miombo Declaration was signed by 11 heads of state and launched as a coalition in April 2024 in Washington, DC; the Miombo Initiative is committed to the preservation and sustainable management of a critical ecosystem.
Encompassing parts of Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, Congo, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, the Miombo woodlands support a rich diversity of plant and animal life. They also provide essential resources and livelihoods for over 300 million people across the region.
"The Miombo Restoration Alliance is investing not only in the restoration of one of Africa's most vital ecosystems, but also in the future of Mozambique and the wider region. The commitment of ICCF, Trafigura and Conservation International to sustainable development and international climate finance will help protect our rich biodiversity while fostering economic resilience for generations to come."
-- H.E. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of Mozambique
In alignment with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which promotes international cooperation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Alliance will work closely with regional governments to develop policy and projects that promote employment, establish benefit-sharing, and restore critical buffer zones around key conservation areas.
"The launch of the Miombo Restoration Alliance marks a significant step forward in our efforts to promote investments in ecosystem services and landscape restoration across the region. By strengthening partnerships in managing our native species restoration projects, they are not only safeguarding the region’s natural heritage but also supporting our communities' livelihoods and enhancing carbon sinks. This partnership is a testament to the power of cooperation in fostering sustainable development and environmental resilience for future generations."
-- H.E. Lazarus Chakwera, President of Malawi
"Botswana has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainable land management and the preservation of dry forest ecosystems through the Miombo Initiative. The Alliance's objectives dovetail with our priorities of combating land degradation, fostering biodiversity, while also improving the livelihoods of local communities that depend upon on critical natural resources."
-- H.E. Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, President of Botswana
"Native species restoration at scale is incredibly challenging due to the need to bring together financing, risk, environmental, community, and policy requirements for successful implementation. We are extremely excited to launch the Miombo Restoration Alliance as a means of creating a network of parties that can solve these challenges for large-scale, multijurisdictional impact under Article 6 – and deliver high integrity carbon removals to the market."
-- Hannah Hauman, Global Head of Carbon Trading, Trafigura
"The Miombo Woodlands are critical to maintaining the extraordinary biodiversity of Central and Southern Africa, supporting a vast number of species and livelihoods across the region. Conservation International is pleased to serve as the adviser to the Alliance, providing expert guidance and working with governments and local communities to ensure positive outcomes for people, nature, and the climate. As we face the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, investing in nature has never been more urgent."
-- Julius Court, Chief Operating Officer, Conservation International
"The Miombo Restoration Alliance is an innovative partnership through which members of the private sector are answering the call to support the African-led Miombo Initiative in what we believe will become one of the largest landscape-level restoration and conservation zones in Africa. The ICCF Group is proud to be at the forefront of this effort, with these tremendous partners, and with a clear mandate to work regionally and at the national level to deploy critical resources on the ground for the benefit of the millions of people of the Miombo region."
-- John B. Gantt, Chief Executive Officer, The ICCF Group
ENDS
For further media information please contact:
Conservation International Press Office:
Jenny Parker, VP Communications Tel: (917) 763-3263 or jparker@conservation.org /
Jessica Brown, Media Relations Senior Director, Tel: (734) 748-7361 or jbrown@conservation.org
Trafigura Press Office: Tel: +41 (0) 22 592 4528 or media@trafigura.com
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.
Visit: Conservation.org
About The ICCF Group
The ICCF Group is a 501(c)(3) educational foundation that advances conservation governance by building political will and providing on-the-ground solutions. We educate and support policymakers through legislative conservation caucuses that we have helped to establish in more than 20 countries, uniting policymakers, corporations, and NGOs to work together on conservation initiatives. We are pro-business, pro-development, and pro-environment and are committed to market-oriented solutions for conservation and sustainability worldwide.
Visit: internationalconservation.org
About Trafigura
Trafigura is a leading commodities group, owned by its employees and founded over 30 years ago. At the heart of global supply, Trafigura connects vital resources to power and build the world. We deploy infrastructure, market expertise and our worldwide logistics network to move oil and petroleum products, metals and minerals, gas and power from where they are produced to where they are needed, forming strong relationships that make supply chains more efficient, secure and sustainable. We invest in renewable energy projects and technologies to facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy, including through H2Energy Europe and joint venture Nala Renewables.
The Trafigura Group also comprises industrial assets and operating businesses including multi-metals producer Nyrstar, fuel storage and distribution company Puma Energy, the Impala Terminals joint venture and Greenergy, supplier and distributor of transportation fuels and biofuels. The Group employs over 12,000 people, of which over 1,400 are shareholders and is active in 156 countries.
Visit: www.trafigura.com