Revitalizing communities and regenerating landscapes offers tremendous opportunities for society and business

“Wouldn’t we all want to live in a Blue Line Society^TM?”
– John Loudon, CEO COmON Foundation

The COmON Foundation is a private, charitable fund, dedicated to the regeneration and re-greening of degraded areas worldwide, empowering communities, optimising land use and nurturing nature, based on innovative approaches. The COmON Foundation is Commonland’s cornerstone funder and has supported Commonland from the very start. They look forward to achieving more impact in the future!

The COmON Foundation believes that the only sustainable way forward is to strive for a Blue Line Society™. This society offers a better, less destructive balance; it means taking less from the Earth than the planet can give back. As a consequence, the greater the extent to which we achieve a Blue Line Society™, the healthier our planet becomes. Blue Line is a philosophy based on the principles of nature that create healthy income flows in the form of sustainable business for profit. In a Blue Line Society™, we will focus on locally available resources to fulfil the basic needs of both people and planet. We will restore and conserve nature, while at the same time creating economic and inspirational values.

“RSM is one of the founding partners of Commonland. Our collaboration with founder Willem Ferwerda started on 1 September 2012 when we appointed Willem to be RSMs first Executive Fellow Business & Ecosystems –this title is an accurate description of the two fields we aim to bridge. The collaboration deepened when we, together with Commonland’s Head of Science & Education, jointly obtained funding from the Erasmus-programme of the European Union in September 2016. Over the past 3 years, we have developed a number of massive open online courses, teaching cases and numerous guest lectures for business students, who tell us that their world view has broadened. Have a look at www.rsm.nl/enable for more information about this partnership, or watch this video to hear Willem Ferwerda explain why a business school should be interested in ecosystems and landscapes.”

Eva Rood – director, Positive Change Initiative. Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.

The Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) is one of the six scientific commissions of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The IUCN CEM is a network of volunteer experts, numbering 1,000, from around the world working on ecosystem management-related issues, for example climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, Red List of Ecosystems, fisheries and ecosystem restoration and services.

The Commission works closely with other IUCN commissions, such as the Species Survival Commission and the World Commission on Protected Areas, as well as IUCN regional offices and global thematic programs. The IUCN Global Ecosystem Management Programme (EMP) is the focal program for CEM, which provides secretariat and technical support. Commonland staff are taking part in CEM’s thematic working groups on ecosystem restoration and business involvement. The international secretariat is based in Gland, Switzerland.

IUCN CEM is one of the founding fathers of Commonland. The Commission offers Commonland guidance and advice and gives access to IUCN’s worldwide database on ecosystems and network experts.

“Wouldn’t we all want to live in a Blue Line Society^TM?”
– John Loudon, CEO COmON Foundation

The COmON Foundation is a private, charitable fund, dedicated to the regeneration and re-greening of degraded areas worldwide, empowering communities, optimising land use and nurturing nature, based on innovative approaches. The COmON Foundation is Commonland’s cornerstone funder and has supported Commonland from the very start. They look forward to achieving more impact in the future!

The COmON Foundation believes that the only sustainable way forward is to strive for a Blue Line Society™. This society offers a better, less destructive balance; it means taking less from the Earth than the planet can give back. As a consequence, the greater the extent to which we achieve a Blue Line Society™, the healthier our planet becomes. Blue Line is a philosophy based on the principles of nature that create healthy income flows in the form of sustainable business for profit. In a Blue Line Society™, we will focus on locally available resources to fulfil the basic needs of both people and planet. We will restore and conserve nature, while at the same time creating economic and inspirational values.

‘’The Dutch Postcode Lottery has been raising funds since 1989 to support a fairer and greener world. Today it is the biggest charity lottery in the Netherlands, with 50 percent of the annual turnover going to over 100 non-governmental organisations. Since the start of the Lottery over €5.8 billion has been distributed to these beneficiaries.

Commonland has received € 3.3 million from the Dutch Postcode Lottery since 2016. In 2018 Commonland received an Extra Award of € 1,394,000 for landscape restoration in Baviaanskloof. We are glad that on behalf of the participants of our Lottery, we have been able to support Commonland in their important conservation work to recover landscapes in the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Australia. We believe that Baviaanskloof is a valuable addition to this. In 2018 I visited the Baviaanskloof myself, and I saw the positive effects of the ‘restoration of hope’ on the local community. We are also very proud that we can support Commonland in their sustainable approach with attention to nature and people, thereby strengthening both the ecology and the community.’’

– Margriet Schreuders, Head of charities, Dutch Postcode Lottery

“The IKEA Foundation cares for people and the planet. We want to be a force for positive change and have the possibility to make significant and lasting impact – today and for generations to come. I feel proud and humble to know that in partnering with Commonland, we have joined a like-minded, transformative community that is working to bridge economy and ecology.”

– Annelies Withofs, programme manager at IKEA Foundation

LGT Venture Philanthropy is a global venture philanthropy organization striving to improve the quality of life of disadvantaged people, contribute to healthy ecosystems, and build resilient, inclusive and prosperous communities.

They do so by combining the discipline of professional investment management with an in-depth knowledge of the sectors and regions they are active in. LGT Venture Philanthropy’s management, team and board members are dedicated to supporting their portfolio organizations and companies as they grow and scale their solutions.

The Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative is a global initiative on the economic benefits of land and land-based ecosystems. It aims to increase political and public awareness of the economic costs and benefits of healthy and productive land. The secretariat of the initiative is hosted by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

The initiative highlights the value of sustainable land management and provides a global approach for analysis of the economics of land degradation. It aims to make the economics of land degradation an integral part of policy strategies and decision-making by increasing political and public awareness of the costs and benefits of land and land-based ecosystems.

The ELD vision is to transform global understanding of the economic value of productive land based on both market and non-market values, and to improve stakeholder awareness for socio-economic arguments to improve sustainable land management, prevent the loss of natural capital, preserve ecosystem services, combat climate change, and address food, energy, and water security. The ELD methodological approach will translate economic, social and ecological knowledge into topical information and tools to support improved policy-making and practices in land management suitable for policy makers, scientific communities, local administrators and practitioners, and the private sector.

As mission partner, ELD provides Commonland access to its methodology and network of experts on the economics of land degradation.

The Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration was launched in 2003 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Forestry Commission of Great Britain. Since then, more than 25 governments and international and non-governmental organizations have joined. It is a proactive network that unites governments, organizations, communities and individuals with a common goal: restoring the world’s degraded and deforested lands.

The partnership was initiated with the purpose of catalyzing and reinforcing a network of diverse examples of restoration of forests and degraded lands that deliver benefits to local communities and to nature, and fulfill international commitments on forests.

Commonland is a member of the partnership with the objective to share information amongst the partnership members and to contribute to the goal of the Bonn Challenge with the 4 returns approach and concrete projects in the field.

www.fao.org

Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.

“Landscape restoration is the cheapest and most efficient form of climate action, which places people and ecosystems in the center of development. Reviving degraded landscapes to amplify returns across sectors is a win-win idea.”

– Ibrahim Thiaw, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Executive Secretary of the Convention to Combat Desertification

“After years of testing the 4 Returns framework for restoring landscapes is building a sound concept that can go to scale. It will be a valuable tool to achieve the goals of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.”

– Tim Christopherson, Chair of the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration.

Led by El Salvador and joined by over 70 countries from all latitudes, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2021–2030 as the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. This action positions the restoration of ecosystems as a major nature-based solution towards meeting a wide range of national priorities.

The UN Decade calls for strong commitments and efforts by countries, the international community, civil society, businesses and others to achieve transformational ecosystem restoration. All ecosystems are involved, including forests, grasslands, croplands, wetlands, savannahs and other terrestrial and inland water ecosystems, marine and coastal ecosystems and, as appropriate, urban environments. This involves the restoration of at least 350 million hectares of degraded landscapes by 2030, realizing up to US$9 trillion in net benefits and alleviating poverty in many rural communities.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), established in 1972, is the voice for the environment within the United Nations system. UNEP acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote the wise use and sustainable development of the global environment.

UNEP work encompasses assessing global, regional and national environmental conditions and trends, developing international and national environmental instruments, and strengthening institutions for the wise management of the environment.

The mission of the United Nations Environment Programme on ecosystem restoration is aligned with the Bonn Challenge and with Commonland’s mission.

To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life is the mission of Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre). A staff of 6,500 and 10,000 students from over 100 countries work everywhere around the world in the domain of healthy food and living environment for governments and the business community at large.

The strength of Wageningen UR lies in its ability to combine the strengths of specialized research institutes and Wageningen University. It also lies in the combined efforts of the various fields of natural and social sciences. This union of expertise leads to scientific breakthroughs that can quickly be put into practice and be incorporated into education. This is the Wageningen Approach. As a mission partner, several Wageningen UR institutes and experts are involved in ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a CEO-led organization of forward-thinking companies that galvanizes the global business community to create a sustainable future for business, society and the environment.

Through its members, the Council applies its respected thought leadership and effective advocacy to generate constructive solutions and take shared action to drive business action on sustainability in the coming decade and beyond.

The WBCSD aims to be the leading voice of business that will support companies in scaling up true value-added business solutions and in creating the conditions where more sustainable companies will succeed and be recognized. Action2020 is the WBCSD’s platform for sustainability in action. It’s the roadmap for how businesses can positively influence environmental and social trends while strengthening their own resilience to issues like climate change, demographic dynamics and skills shortages. Based on the latest scientific consensus, Action2020 sets an agenda for businesses to take action on sustainable development to 2020 and beyond.

The WBCSD is a mission partner of Commonland, as both share the vision that companies and investors should be actively involved in ecosystem restoration and management. The work of Commonland contributes to WBCSD’s Ecosystems & Landscape Management Cluster.

Landscapes are mosaics of natural and human-modified ecosystems. They provide multiple benefits, such as food, rural livelihoods and wellbeing, energy, fibers and building materials, medicines, ecosystem services and biodiversity.

As a form of integrated landscape management, ecoagriculture affirms the value of supporting these benefits in a way that reinforces synergies. In the past, the goals of ecoagriculture were often perceived to be in conflict. But many integrated landscape initiatives practicing ecoagriculture have shown how conservation, agriculture and development can co-exist or even positively affect each other.

This process requires collaboration or coordination between diverse stakeholders who are collectively responsible for managing key components of a landscape. EcoAgriculture Partners uses an integrated approach to enhance rural livelihoods, conserve biodiversity and improve agricultural productivity.

EcoAgriculture Partners is supporting the mission of Commonland. Commonland is a strategic partner of EcoAgriculture Partners and also participates in the Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative.

We help people in need. We do so right around the corner – and far away. Our mission is to prevent and relieve human suffering, everywhere. Protect lives and health, and safeguard respect for every human. That has been our mission for over 150 years. With particular attention to the most vulnerable people, those who cannot survive or whose health is endangered without help.

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Founded at its grassroots in the United States in 1951, The Nature Conservancy has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than a million members and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and more than 400 scientists, we impact conservation in 72 countries across six continents.

The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization working at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests to make responsible business the new normal. They are an alliance of companies, farmers, foresters, communities, and consumers committed to creating a world where people and nature thrive in harmony.

WRI is a global research organization that spans more than 60 countries, with offices in the United States, China, India, Brazil, Indonesia and more. Their more than 1,000 experts and staff work closely with leaders to turn big ideas into action to sustain our natural resources — the foundation of economic opportunity and human well-being. Their work focuses on seven critical issues at the intersection of environment and development: climate, energy, food, forests, water, cities and the ocean.

There has never been more money and political will for conservation and sustainability than in this decade.  Yet investors and land managers are struggling to originate high-quality, de-risked, land use projects.  The Landscape Finance Lab bridges this gap. It is a system to structure, de-risk, launch, and fund sustainable land use deals at landscape scale – covering millions of hectares, mobilising hundreds of millions of dollars and catalysing major impact – including carbon sequestration, food security, poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation.

www.ecosystemrestorationcamps.org

www.natuurmonumenten.nl

www.peaceparks.org

www.pbl.nl

www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-agriculture-nature-and-food-quality

www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-infrastructure-and-water-management

english.iswc.cas.cn

www.waswac.org/waswac

www.deltares.nl

www.worldlandtrust.org

www.wetlands.org

uu.nl

www.tompkinsconservation.org

www.tema.org.tr

www.presencing.org

nioo.knaw.nl

www.iucn.org

www.isric.org

fes.org.in

www.darwinfoundation.org