Expanding investment in voluntary nature credits
Photo:
Andrew Wilson
The Government is backing the expansion of a New Zealand voluntary nature credits market.
The market's aim is open income opportunities for farmers and other landowners who have projects on their land, by linking them with investors interested in projects designed to protect nature.
The Associate Minister for the Environment, and Agriculture, Andrew Hoggard, says the credits will appeal to international and domestic investors - including corporates, banks, and philanthropists who are seeking high-quality nature credits that meet global standards.
Some privately funded pilot projects are already underway to test how a voluntary nature credit markets can work in the New Zealand context.
Forest and Bird has cautiously welcomed the announcement, of what's planned to be a high integrity model, but expressed reservations that it could become a vehicle for offsetting environmental harm.
Associate Minister for the Environment Andrew Hoggard is on the programme.
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