HYBRID EVENT
Date: 04 March, 2022
Venue: Radisson Blue Hotel | Kigali, Rwanda
Time: 9:30am – 10:45am CAT
Register here to join online>>
Africa’s rich natural capital is crucial to the economic wellbeing of its people through activities ranging from agriculture and forestry, to fishing and mining. With almost a quarter of the continent’s GDP dependent on nature, every development pathway relies on responsible management of this precious resource.
Yet, this extraordinary natural resource is threatened as never before by expanding populations, overexploitation, and the destruction of habitats. Between 1970 and 2016, the stock of natural capital in African countries fell on average by 65%. A sustainable economy depends on our ability to conserve nature by using it responsibly and to switch the flow of private and public finance towards nature-positive activities.
Investing in natural capital in this way also provides a huge opportunity with the benefits far outweighing the cost. For example, every US$1 invested in marine protected areas in Senegal and Tanzania generates US$5,000 of economic value.
For financial institutions and companies, the first step on this journey is to be able to understand their exposure to nature-related risks. This is the impetus behind the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosure, a global initiative to create a framework for managing and reporting on the risks and opportunities of nature.
But what does this mean for Africa, how can it have a voice in shaping the framework and what steps can policymakers take to encourage investment in natural capital in their country?
Speakers:
Moderated by: Georgie Ndirangu – ex-BBC broadcaster/Global Moderator
Drawing experts from both public and private sectors, this panel discussion will address these and other questions such as: what role can the finance sector play in protecting and growing Africa’s natural capital through its investment, lending and underwriting portfolios and how can policy enable better management of nature-related risks?
The session will also hear about the launch of the African Natural Capital Alliance (ANCA), a new body led by some of Africa’s leading financial institutions along with UNECA and FSD Africa, which will work in partnership with TNFD to spearhead this initiative in Africa.
If you are interested in what TNFD will mean for Africa, and how financial institutions, policymakers, regulators and sovereign actors can work together to manage the continent’s rich natural resources, we welcome your attendance.