SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS

Equator Ventures is a collaborative undertaking of UNDP's Equator Inititiative and Conservation International's Verde Ventures programme.

The Equator Initiative is a UNDP partnership between the United Nations, civil society, business, governments and communities. Partners include the Government of Canada, Conservation International, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the International Development Research Centre, IUCN-The World Conservation Union, The Nature Conservancy, Television Trust for the Environment (TVE) and the United Nations Foundation. The partners work together to build the capacity and raise the profile of grassroots efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Verde Ventures is a fund designed to strengthen small- and medium-sized enterprises that are strategically important to biodiversity conservation. Verde Ventures is currently capitalized with $6.75 million raised from public and private sources including the International Finance Corporation/Global Environmental Facility, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the Starbucks Coffee Company. To date, just under $4 million of this capital has been invested with a 100 percent repayment rate. Verde Ventures partners have helped directly secure the protection and restoration of over 580,000 hectares (1.2 million acres) of key habitat and 95 IUCN Red Listed species, and have supported 14 projects that together employ more than 9,000 local people in 7 countries.

Equator Ventures is supported by:

DOEN Foundation

The DOEN Foundation strives to make the world a more livable place. To this end, it provides funding to organizations and projects in the fields of development cooperation, human rights, nature and the environment, welfare, and culture. The DOEN Foundation achieves its objectives through revenues it receives from the Dutch National Postcode Lottery, the Sponsor Lottery and the BankGiro Lottery.

Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. CEPF provides strategic assistance to nongovernmental organizations, community groups and other civil society partners to help safeguard Earth’s biodiversity hotspots. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation. CEPF focuses on hotspots in the developing world and strategically targets priority areas in the hotspots for maximum impact.

Partners

New Ventures
(World Resources Institute)

The New Ventures program of the World Resources Institute supports sustainable enterprise creation in emerging economies by accelerating the transfer of venture capital to outstanding investment opportunities that incorporate social and environmental benefits. New Ventures now has country programs in Brazil, China, and Mexico. We will be supporting additional programs in Indonesia and India shortly.