CSF’s Nature, Climate and Economy programme conducts research, convenes stakeholders, and communicates policy imperatives for putting nature and natural capital at the core of Sri Lanka’s post-crisis economic recovery, and its medium-term development pathways. Our work includes looking at innovative financing instruments for conservation and a green recovery, strengthening financial institutions’ environmental integration, nature-positive tourism development, and reorienting growth metrics towards environmental considerations.
Nature, Climate, Economy
Areas of Work
Sustainable Financing for Marine Conservation in Sri Lanka
A project in partnership with Blue Resources Trust and funded by Oceans5 that unpacks relevant financing instruments for marine protected areas, educates stakeholders, and researches site-specific options.
Environmental Integration in Financial Institutions
To what extent do Sri Lankan financial institutions consider environment - from the highest leadership levels, to the lending portfolio level? Our initial assessments provide revealing findings.
Advocating for a Growth Model and Metrics that Prioritises Nature
Thought leadership on changing how we measure growth (moving beyond GDP), and economic approaches and that put environmental considerations at the centre of the economy
Sustainable Financing for Marine Conservation in Sri Lanka
A project in partnership with Blue Resources Trust and funded by Oceans5 that unpacks relevant financing instruments for marine protected areas, educates stakeholders, and researches site-specific options.
Environmental Integration in Financial Institutions
To what extent do Sri Lankan financial institutions consider environment - from the highest leadership levels, to the lending portfolio level? Our initial assessments provide revealing findings.
Advocating for a Growth Model and Metrics that Prioritises Nature
Thought leadership on changing how we measure growth (moving beyond GDP), and economic approaches and that put environmental considerations at the centre of the economy
To What Extent Do Sri Lankan Financial Institutions Integrate Environmental Considerations?
Beach cleanups, tree planting programmes, and commitments to recycling. These are some of the common ways in which Sri Lankan financial institutions typically market World Environment Day, falling each year on the 5th of June. Yet, there are major outstanding questions as to whether the country's financial institutions are effectively orienting themselves to meet the environmental challenges emerging in the country, and ensure that capital flows in the direction needed to foster a nature-positive economic recovery for Sri Lanka. New research by CSF shows that Sri Lankan financial institutions have some way to go in demonstrating environmental integration in their business.
Open Access Materials on CSF’s Work in Conservation Finance
CSF announces the launch of a set of knowledge materials, findings reports, and easy guides for interested stakeholders, freely available for download, developed under a project with Blue Resources Trust on marine conservation finance.
Towards a Nature-Positive Economic Recovery in Sri Lanka: An Interview Series
As Sri Lanka's economic crisis jeopardizes sustainable development, the looming threat to environmental conservation and natural resource management is becoming apparent. The government's shrinking fiscal space intensifies the limiting of budgets for crucial initiatives. Meanwhile, much of the private sector is yet to fully integrate nature into their business and investment decisions. To add new ideas to the debate and push the conversation further, CSF and Echelon are collaborating on a new interview series launching soon.
