The LDN Fund presented at One Planet Summit as a new investment model for the planet

Boulogne-Billancourt, France – 12 December 2017 – The LDN Fund became one of the projects showcased at the One Planet Summit as an initiative that offers practical solutions to global environmental issues.  

The innovative investment vehicle provides environmentally, socially and financially sound approaches to the key challenges of land use. While healthy and productive land can store huge amounts of carbon and help mitigate the effects of climate change, the degraded soil loses much of this capacity. Land degradation occurs when people over-exploit natural systems while under-investing in them. At the same time, changes in climate can cause drought and desertification, leading to further land degradation and threatening the livelihoods of millions. 

The LDN Fund enables public funders to secure the risks taken by private investors and target the climate and sustainable development goals simultaneously. The initiative, brokered by UNCCD Global Mechanism and managed by Mirova, brings together project leaders, land users and investors to promote healthy land as an investment in the future that can create green jobs, ensure food security and help address the effects of climate change. 

Concluding the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned that the commitment to protect land and water resources from the effects of climate change resulted in several very specific measures, including the USD300 million to activate the LDN Fund and mobilize action against land degradation and desertification. France, Canada and other partners have announced their financial support for the initiative, making the target to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030 a realistic goal.

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