The Green Value Initiative – Recognising the Value of Natural Capital and Biodiversity in Africa

Nature provides goods and services for the well-being of people and economies worth 170 trillion US dollars every year – twice the global GDP. This value is not sufficiently factored into economic and financial decisions.

Cover: Green Value Initiative – Natural Capital in Africa | Recognizing the economic and societal value of nature in decision-making

The Green Value Initiative aims to take better account of the economic value of nature in Africa, thereby contributing to preserving Africa's natural capital and putting it into value as a driver of development.

Green Value pursues four strategic approaches:

Strengthening development-oriented nature conservation,
mainstreaming natural capital into development finance,
recognising natural capital in national policy and planning as well as financial markets, and
integrating natural capital into measures of economic success and wealth.

BMZ-Event

On the occasion of the launch of the Green Value Initiative's flagship report “Africa's Protected Natural Assets” on 24 August 2021, African, international and German guests discussed what is needed to conserve Africa's natural capital and put it to good use for development.

You can find a recording of the event here:

Preview image livestream launch — Mobilizing Action for Protecting Africa's Natural Assets

About 50 bees on their way to their hive, some of the insects hover right in front of the hive, many have already landed and are crawling into the entrance.

Besides its intrinsic value, nature is also an economically important capital (natural capital) that must be preserved as the ecological foundation of wealth and well-being. Nevertheless, only a fraction of the services that nature provides (ecosystem services) is taken into account in economic considerations. Nature is economically invisible to a large extent. One result: far too often, short-term development ambitions are materialized at the expense of nature. This not only harms the environment, but ultimately threatens the livelihoods and prosperity of current and future generations.

Green value: Protected area pillar Africa’s Protected Natural Assets – The importance of conservation areas for prosperous and resilient societies in Africa

Cover: Factsheet Green Value Initiative – Natural Capital in Africa

Pillar 1 of the initiative, “Africa's Protected Natural Assets”, highlights the multiple values of conservation areas in Africa for development and prosperity. It aims to raise awareness among decision-makers for the necessity to strengthen existing areas, to expand the coverage of protected land and seas and to increase investments in those areas as important assets of Africa’s natural capital.

Fields of action are:

Flagship Report: The Africa's Protected Natural Assets Report is a first of its kind comprehensive assessment of the economic and social importance of conservation areas in Africa and provides recommendations to better recognise their value in decision making.

Case Study Processes: The initiative collaborates with six African countries to carry out natural capital and ecosystem services assessments in selected conservation areas.

Communications: Findings, messages and recommendations will be communicated during a high-level launch event as well as at international events and meetings such as the IUCN World Conservation Congress and towards the CBD COP 15.