TNC, JPMorgan form conservation investment vehicle

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. jointly announced on April 29 that they have established NatureVest, a new vehicle designed to attract investment in the conservation of agricultural properties, fisheries, and other ecological assets. The two organizations cited data generated by the Global Canopy Program, which has found that, while the current financial need to support conservation efforts globally totals about $290 billion per year, only about $51 billion is actually being invested in these purposes. “There is an urgent need to step up the scale and creativity of financial resources dedicated to the protection of natural ecosystems,” said Doug Petno, CEO of commercial banking at JPMorgan Chase. TNC said that, this year, NatureVest will publish an initial piece of research to comprehensively assess the size of the natural capital marketplace and to characterize specific segments.