Scaling Investment in Indigenous-led Conservation Across Canada - Nature Investment Hub & First 30x30

The Nature Investment Hub and First 30×30 Canada hosted a great webinar on December 11th, 2024, focused on the role of the philanthropic and private sectors in scaling investment in Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship activities in Canada. Through this webinar, we aimed to create a dialogue so that participants could:

  • Gain valuable insights into the momentum and investment potential of Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship efforts in Canada
  • Develop clarity on how funders and investors can effectively engage at various stages of activity development to accelerate on-the-ground action
  • Hear about how blended finance can catalyze and support Indigenous conservation and stewardship activities
  • Learn more about the work of First 30×30 Canada

This webinar is ideal for philanthropists, corporates, impact investors, governments and others interested in providing financial support for Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship in Canada.

Nature Investment Hub is a Solution Space by Generate Canada in partnership with the Smart Prosperity Institute. First 30×30 Canada is a collaboration led by Nature For Justice, IISAAK OLAM Foundation and Nature Focus Development.

A First 30x30 & RAD Network Webinar

First 30×30 Canada and the Restore Assert Defend (RAD) Network co-hosted a webinar on October 17th on financing pathways for Indigenous-led conservation. 

In this webinar, we aimed to:

  • Provide a brief introduction to nature-based solutions (NbS) as a financing pathway for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) and other forms of Indigenous-led land management
  • Showcase real-life examples of how Nations are engaging with NbS, with a spotlight on the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project and Kwiakah First Nation
  • And introduce the new First 30×30 program which mobilizes finance and technical support to help Indigenous Nations explore and create NbS project in line with their vision and aspirations for their land.

The First 30×30 team introduced our program, and then we heard from guest speakers on the Coastal First Nations’ Great Bear Forest Carbon Project and the Kwiakah First Nation’s “living tree” tenure model. 

Paul Kariya is the Coastal First Nations (CFN) Special Policy Advisor, with knowledge and experience in public policy subjects such as carbon offsets, fish and fisheries management, renewable energy development, and leadership and reconciliation. He is also A/GM of the Great Bear Carbon Credit Co LP. 

Jody Holmes is the project director for the Rainforest Solutions Project, a project of the Makeway Charitable Society. She was one of the primary architects for the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements announced in 2015, which formalize a globally significant model for reconciliation, conservation, and forestry. Under Kwiakah First Nation leadership, she has continued to transform conservation governance and economics, piloting a new Indigenous “living tree” protective tenure designation and innovative forest regeneration research. Jody will speak about this designation and its use as a new mechanism to finance forest protection. By tracking and managing “Protected Forest Assets,” the Kwiakah First Nation is able to protect their forest while receiving investment from impact- and ESG- focused investors. 

Special thanks to our guest speakers, and to Erin Dixon for the opening and prayer, Karim Rizkallah for tech support, Mary-Kate Craig for excellent moderation, and the RAD team for their collaboration!

Stay tuned for more webinars and events! Follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date

Donate

About 30x30

Done right, carbon projects—deploying nature-based solutions—can channel long-term finance for Indigenous-led conservation and land management. Launched in late 2023, First 30×30 Canada works to promote and support Indigenous-led NbS and carbon projects, to sustainably finance emerging Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) and other visions for Indigenous stewardship and conservation in Canada. This is a pathway to advance global climate and biodiversity goals while centering social justice and reconciliation for Canada’s Indigenous peoples.

First 30×30 Canada is a partnership initiative between Nature For Justice (N4J), IISAAK OLAM Foundation (IOF), and Nature Focus Development (NFD).