Financing Conservation

Our planet, including our atmosphere, forests, water, and other living entities, are fundamental to human survival. Yet these services have been vastly undervalued and under-resourced. Studies estimate a US$900 billion gap in annual funding needed for conservation critical to maintaining biodiversity and climate outcomes. The field of conservation finance aims to address this massive financing gap as well as the multitude of ways global markets and policies shortchange nature. Conservation finance umbrellas a variety of concepts, including (but not limited to) payments for ecosystem services, nature-based solutions, and environmental markets. In this course, we will focus on key concepts, tools, and challenges in this space. The course will be multidisciplinary, much like the field itself, which reaches across the intersections of ecology, economics, policy, finance, and human rights.

KEY QUESTIONS

• What is conservation finance and what is its role in biodiversity, water, and climate?

• What are the range of existing finance strategies and tools?

• What bottlenecks hold back conservation finance?

• What are examples of conservation finance in the field?

• How does policy drive or shape or omit conservation finance?

• What are the different roles of public and private financing?

STANDARD and PREMIUM formats:

• Live (recorded) meetings 9 July–20 August 2025; 12:00–1:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesdays

• Course materials available 7 July–8 October 2025

• See TOPICS & LEARNING OUTCOMES below for the details about guest lecturers each week!

BASIC format

• The BASIC format is not available for this course.

• (Early bird* savings of $75 ends June 7).

TOPICS

• Module 1: Introduction to Conservation Finance | Guest Speaker: Ricardo Bayon, Encourage Capital

• Module 2: Nature-Based Solutions for Climate | Guest Speaker: Tommie Elder, Anew Climate

• Module 3: Biodiversity Offsets and Credits | Guest Speaker: Genevieve Bennett, Forest Trends

• Module 4: Payments for Watershed Services | Guest Speaker: Will Sarni, Earth Finance

• Module 5: Blue Carbon & Blue Bonds | Guest Speaker: Tundi Agardy, Forest Trends

• Module 6: Debt for Nature, Conservation Easements, & Beyond | Guest Speaker: Melissa Moye, World Wildlife Fund

• Module 7: Equity and the Human Dimension

• Module 8: ESG, Supply Chains, Consumer Choices, & Conclusion

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Explain the similarities and differences of conservation finance tools.

• Identify the different tools that might be viable given a conservation scenario.

• Utilize metrics for evaluating the impact and success of different strategies.

• Assess critiques and their strengths and weaknesses.

• Identify areas where more funding, research, and policy are needed to support conservation finance efforts.

• Build relationships with peers by working on group projects, participating in class and in online discussions.

• Demonstrate and communicate a broad understanding of conservation finance.

FORMAT:

• 3 months of access to course materials

• Get instructor support for the 3-month term via email, discussion threads, group meetings, and one-on-one appointments

• After working through the course materials, set up an optional meeting with the instructor to discuss your own personal project from work or school

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

• 16 CEUs with The Wildlife Society (go to our Continuing Education Page for more details)

FORMAT:

• 12 months of access to course materials as you work at your own pace 

• Get instructor support for the 3-month term via email, discussion threads, group meetings, and one-on-one appointments

• Receive Mentor Direct Constructive Feedback on your Capstone Project and a 1:1 Mentor-Mentee Session to refine your intervention plans and enhance your project's impact.

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

• 16 CEUs with The Wildlife Society (go to our Continuing Education Page for more details)

CERTIFICATIONS:

• Earn 1 credit towards a professional certificate in Conservation Planning with CWS

ACADEMIC CREDIT:

• Earn 1 academic credit (go to our Academic Credit Page for details)

• Earn an additional 1-2 academic credits with an Applied Project