The first edition of the "Standards of Practice for Environmental Funds" was carried out through a webinar. Seventy people participated in this event, both members and non-members of Environmental Funds. In addition, a session in English will be held tomorrow, in which more than 50 people are expected to participate. This activity was coordinated by Leonardo García, BRIDGE project coordinator, in collaboration with RedLAC and CAFÉ.
"There are several issues and several indicators. And the idea is that the tool allows these organizations to see where they are and where they can improve their weak points according to the results. And this, in turn, allows access to donor funding to other allies that are also related to the issue of biodiversity conservation."
BRIDGE Project Coordinator Leonardo Garcia said.
He also emphasized that the Standards of Practice for Environmental Funds self-assessment tool not only benefits environmental funds, but also other organizations interested in assessing and measuring their institutional capacity in different areas. García emphasized that the tool will allow organizations to identify their weaknesses and improve them, which in turn will allow them to access funding and other partners interested in biodiversity conservation. He also noted that the participation of more than 70 people from environmental funds in the webinar demonstrates the community's interest and commitment to improving their practices and strengthening their capacities.
The Standards of Practice emerged in 2014 as a voluntary tool to improve the organizational and operational capacity of Environmental Funds, and have since become a valuable tool for meeting the accreditation requirements of multilateral bodies such as the Green Climate Fund. In 2020, an updated version of the Standards was published with added content that emerged from user feedback over the first five years, thanks to joint work led by the Conservation Finance Alliance and with the participation of representatives of EFs, RedLAC and CAFÉ leaders, donors, NGOs and other key individuals.
The self-assessment tool is ready and RedLAC and CAFÉ members are invited to participate in the information sessions that will be held in English and French to learn about its use and approach. During the session, the implications of the results and how to improve performance on those standards that score low will be discussed. This joint effort seeks to move the needle on Environmental Funds in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean towards the 2030 global goals by engaging the private sector in conservation efforts.
