“Feeding Two Birds with One Scone”: A Spatial Footprint Approach Bridging Conservation Financing and Companies EU-CSRD Reporting

Tropical deforestation has been targeted as the primary driver of agricultural-induced deforestation. Consequently, the conservation of remaining natural forests is an internationally growing concern. However, even though multi-billion-dollar initiatives have been poured out for nature-based solutions to address climate change, including the protection of forests or biodiversity, recent studies suggest that conservation is underfinancing due to the lack of continuity or a steady flow of funds for every single forested spot around the world (Barral, 2021; Bos et al., 2015; Phelps et al., 2011). Thus, the question of how to link financing for conservation and the business value chain is substantial. An ambitious research project, “No Trees, No Future – Unlocking the Full Potential of Conservation Finance,” funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, seeks to design and test a rigorous methodology that addresses the linkage between the private sector’s contribution to conservation financing and their value chain.