Together We Will Find a Way

Something special started to take shape in 2021. As the stories and examples in our annual report show, the year brought with it an undeniable shift in the way many people have come to view the importance of nature as we race to confront the climate crisis and global biodiversity loss.

As I met with leaders, experts and activists at November’s COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, for example, the idea that nature can be a powerful force for climate solutions was at the center of the dialogue. This recognition is a huge accomplishment, and one that we need to accelerate if we are to avoid the worst of the looming ecological threats that scientists warn us about.

This is why we have been compelled to launch the boldest goals ever for The Nature Conservancy. Our six ambitious targets which will be our guide through 2030. Our 2030 ambitions are huge, and, with the right strategies and enough resources, they are achievable.

For more than 70 years, TNC has beat the odds to do critical conservation by working together with partners. And together is the key word here. As we take stock of where we are and where we want to go, we know that we can’t do it alone. We must deepen our collaboration with our peers in the NGO community, with governments and other major policy drivers as well as with corporate entities across the globe.

Looking ahead, I see three keys to transforming our ambitious goals into action:

First, we need to ensure broader participation. As we begin another year of this pivotal decade for nature, the conservation community must build a bigger tent. At The Nature Conservancy, we know we cannot address the biodiversity and climate crises without also elevating the leadership of the people who are best positioned to take action. This requires listening, learning and walking side by side with people from the communities where we work to understand their needs and to partner with local stakeholders. It also includes creating a more diverse workforce that is representative of the communities where we work. While we are early in our equity journey, we are committed to doing more and doing it better.

Next, we must do more to help drive smart, science-based policies. The recent climate and biodiversity commitments we’ve seen from governments and corporations give me hope, but we know that these commitments are only the first step. At TNC, we aren’t just pushing for our own conservation successes; we’re also working alongside governments, businesses and communities to turn policies and commitments into powerful action for nature.

Finally, we need to forge new paths to funding. Last year, we saw some good progress on this front: In Belize, for instance, we were able to help protect 236,000 acres of the Maya rainforest with funding in part from future carbon offsets, and we helped create a new financial mechanism that will reduce the country’s debt burden while generating significant funding for marine conservation. And at the COP26 conference, we saw almost 200 governments broker a global deal on carbon markets that could help generate new finance streams for forest and wetland protection, as well as transitions to clean energy. That said, there is still a long way to go to close the enormous funding gap needed to protect nature.

Our work to drive greater participation, policy and innovative funding in pursuit of a world where nature and people thrive is only possible thanks to our incredible community of partners, supporters and volunteer leaders around the globe. Every acre we protect, every river mile we restore, every tree we plant and ounce of carbon we help sequester from the atmosphere begins with you. The urgency for action and outcomes on critical issues is palpable, and I know that together, we will find a way.