New York, 26 September 2024 – The Miombo Initiative, a partnership between 11 central and southern African nations dedicated to conserving and sustainably managing one of Africa's most significant and expansive forest ecosystems, is excited to introduce the Miombo Restoration Alliance.
Led by the ICCF Group as secretariat, with Trafigura as a founding member, and Conservation International as the adviser to the Alliance to help ensure restoration efforts achieve positive environmental, climate, and community outcomes, the Alliance will work with countries across the Miombo woodlands on greenfield native species restoration projects.
The Alliance will create a robust framework to underpin a USD$500 million investment in large-scale native species restoration projects to produce carbon removals under Article 6. The Alliance intends to broaden its scope by incorporating partners with regional expertise in technical fields, environmental stewardship, and community engagement, alongside world class capital partners to ensure the successful development and implementation of these restoration efforts.
These projects will target the reversal of environmental degradation while fostering sustainable ecosystems across the Miombo Corridor, which spans approximately 1 million square miles in southern and central Africa. Several high-potential opportunities have been identified and feasibility studies are underway.
Adopted in Maputo, Mozambique in August 2022, the Miombo Declaration was signed by 11 heads of state and launched as a coalition in April 2024 in Washington, DC; the Miombo Initiative is committed to the preservation and sustainable management of a critical ecosystem.
Encompassing parts of Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, Congo, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, the Miombo woodlands support a rich diversity of plant and animal life. They also provide essential resources and livelihoods for over 300 million people across the region.
"The Miombo Restoration Alliance is investing not only in the restoration of one of Africa's most vital ecosystems, but also in the future of Mozambique and the wider region. The commitment of ICCF, Trafigura and Conservation International to sustainable development and international climate finance will help protect our rich biodiversity while fostering economic resilience for generations to come."
In alignment with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which promotes international cooperation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Alliance will work closely with regional governments to develop policy and projects that promote employment, establish benefit-sharing, and restore critical buffer zones around key conservation areas.
"The launch of the Miombo Restoration Alliance marks a significant step forward in our efforts to promote investments in ecosystem services and landscape restoration across the region. By strengthening partnerships in managing our native species restoration projects, they are not only safeguarding the region’s natural heritage but also supporting our communities' livelihoods and enhancing carbon sinks. This partnership is a testament to the power of cooperation in fostering sustainable development and environmental resilience for future generations."
"Botswana has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainable land management and the preservation of dry forest ecosystems through the Miombo Initiative. The Alliance's objectives dovetail with our priorities of combating land degradation, fostering biodiversity, while also improving the livelihoods of local communities that depend upon critical natural resources."
"Native species restoration at scale is incredibly challenging due to the need to bring together financing, risk, environmental, community, and policy requirements for successful implementation. We are extremely excited to launch the Miombo Restoration Alliance as a means of creating a network of parties that can solve these challenges for large-scale, multijurisdictional impact under Article 6 – and deliver high integrity carbon removals to the market."
"The Miombo Woodlands are critical to maintaining the extraordinary biodiversity of Central and Southern Africa, supporting a vast number of species and livelihoods across the region. Conservation International is pleased to serve as the adviser to the Alliance, providing expert guidance and working with governments and local communities to ensure positive outcomes for people, nature, and the climate. As we face the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, investing in nature has never been more urgent."
"The Miombo Restoration Alliance is an innovative partnership through which members of the private sector are answering the call to support the African-led Miombo Initiative in what we believe will become one of the largest landscape-level restoration and conservation zones in Africa. The ICCF Group is proud to be at the forefront of this effort, with these tremendous partners, and with a clear mandate to work regionally and at the national level to deploy critical resources on the ground for the benefit of the millions of people of the Miombo region."
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