We are setting up the world's only Climate, Nature & Health Finance Lab
The Lab's theory of change is simple
IF science can develop the causal evidence needed to identify investment cases, and the frameworks and data structures required to measure environmentally-derived health benefits;
AND IF a structured incubator convenes scientists, practitioners, and financial innovators to embed this science within the design and issuance of investment mechanisms for climate, nature and public health;
THEN new revenue streams and financial incentives will be generated linking front-line biodiversity and climate action to people’s health and wellbeing.
Why?
The Lab turns environmentally-derived health benefits into investable projects that treat health as a measurable return on investing in climate and nature.
Approach
How the Lab will work
Three components - a community of practice, science working groups, and an incubator.
01
A community of practice
EFH is convening a community of practice (CoP) for organizations across Africa with an incentive to capture the value of environmentally-derived health benefits.
The CoP will set our agenda — identifying the highest impact opportunities and structural obstacles to integrating environmentally-derived health benefits into financial decision-making.
02
Science work groups
Nested within the CoP will be science working groups.
Each is aligned around a key “research challenge” that stands in the way of environmentally derived health benefits being measured and incorporated into financial decisions.
03
An incubator
An annual lab cycle brings the CoP together, providing the institutional space, technical capacity, and seed funding needed to design investable projects at the intersection of climate, nature and health.
EXPLORE THE SCIENCE UNDERPINNING THE LAB
02
Attribution
Designing and testing frameworks that enable projects to credibly attribute the health benefits generated by pro-environmental management.
03
Essential Health Variables
Developing data standards for measuring the contributions of conservation, ecosystem restoration and climate adaptation to human and animal health, at a project-scale.
What makes us unique
The only initiative solely focused on quantitatively valuing the contributions of positive environmental action to human and animal health.
Our work spans the whole value chain – ensuring expertise and accompaniment to both project developers and investors throughout the lifecycle of project.
We bring together organizations and individuals whose interests span ecology, economics, public health and finance, to create new opportunities at the intersection of these fields.
Our approach is being developed and piloted in Africa, in a way that can be readily adapted and scaled to other parts of the world.
Created in partnership with members of the Namunyak Conservancy in Samburu, Kenya, EFH is rooted in community leadership. Staying true to our origins, EFH commits to embracing diverse knowledge systems and ensuring that local communities are active participants and beneficiaries of our work.
EXPLORE THE LAB'S PILOT PROJECTS
01
Water Funds
Partnering with The Nature Conservancy to measure the health benefits of watershed restoration projects, as a way of attracting new sources of investment into payments for ecosystem services.
02
Sustainability-linked Bonds
Partnering with Nature Finance and the Lancet Countdown on Climate and Health to incorporate health key performance indicators into sustainability-linked bond frameworks.
03
Natural Capital Accounting
Partnering with the Africa Natural Capital Accounting Community of Practice to determine how environmentally-derived health statistics can be incorporated into the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting.