On Tuesday, September 14 we hosted a webinar to highlight the role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in increasing profitability and sustainability of watersheds and hydropower plants in Brazil.
In 2021, the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (the Lab) is partnering with Conservation International (CI) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to replicate and scale Blue Energy Mechanism (BEM) in Brazil, after two successful pilots in Colombia.
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, which can help reduce emissions, enhance resilience, and offer human development and biodiversity benefits, as well as potentially be profitable for private investors and businesses, given their proven contribution to economic growth, risk mitigation, and organizational resilience.
The lab instrument Blue Energy Mechanism brings together environmental valuation methods and a pay for success financing approach to implement sediment and water flow management solutions that increase both the profitability and sustainability of hydropower operations. BEM does not require any initial investment from the hydropower company (HPC), only the payment for the measurable ecosystem benefits.
The webinar will consisted of three modules to help understand:
- The benefits that Nature-based Solutions provide for the hydropower sector
- How to build a cost-effective Nature-based Solutions portfolio
- Alternatives for financing Nature-based Solutions
Speakers
- Matheus Chacur, Climate Policy Initiative
- Mark Mulligan, King’s College
- Thomas Skurtis, Conservation International
- Juan Lozano, The Nature Conservancy