Financial instruments supporting mangroves and forestry are under consideration by members of the African Natural Capital Allliance (ANCA), an executive at the organisation has said.
ANCA is in conversation with financial institutions looking to create innovative instruments that support mangroves and forests, according to Dorothy Maseke, head of ANCA’s secretariat. “ANCA and FSD Africa are looking towards supporting a number of specialised financial instruments in mangroves and forestry,” Maseke told Carbon Pulse.
These could combine elements of bonds, guarantees, and insurance, she said. Established in 2022 by non-profit FSD Africa, ANCA is an African-led initiative whose members – including the likes of Standard Chartered, KCB, and Equity Bank – together manage assets of $390 billion.
Conservation bonds could be a key area of expansion for ANCA members, Maseke said. “The discussions on opportunities are real. We are doing a lot in terms of connecting our partners, to support them on this journey, because many are interested. They just don’t know where to start,” Maseke said. Regulation needs to change to support conservation-related bonds as “capital market structures in Africa do not necessarily support them,” she said.
“When the regulator supports capital market structures that will support this kind of investment, then it gives financial institutions, investors, and private equity the confidence to put their money on the table,” she said. “It also enables fund managers or advisory firms to actually develop these bonds. Those are some of the things that ANCA will be pushing for.” The only conservation-related bond on the continent to have been issued so far was the World Bank’s ‘rhino bond’, a $150 million issuance in 2022 in support of black rhinos in South Africa.
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