Minderoo commits $10 million to accelerate protection of nature across the Commonwealth
Minderoo Foundation has invested A$10 million to support the landmark Commonwealth Nature Initiative (CNI), helping accelerate efforts to protect at least 30 per cent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030.
The CNI was launched today on Fortescue’s Green Pioneer at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda in the presence of His Majesty The King, the Hon Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese; and other world leaders, including the Rt Hon Robinah Nabbanja, Prime Minister of Uganda, and Lord Fakafānua, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga.
The initiative demonstrates a new partnership between nations, philanthropies and local communities, with a landmark US$202.2 million pledge to deliver the global 30x30 target and reflects a shared commitment to accelerate practical conservation action across the Commonwealth ahead of 2030.
“Minderoo’s $10 million contribution will provide catalytic, cornerstone funding to help the Commonwealth Nature Initiative attract further philanthropic investment and accelerate conservation outcomes across the Pacific and wider Commonwealth,” Dr Andrew Forrest AO said.
“This funding will be available immediately, ensuring projects can get underway without delay.
“Nature is facing an accelerating crisis, with biodiversity and habitats declining at an alarming rate. We know that protecting at least 30 per cent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030 is critical to securing healthy, productive and resilient ecosystems for future generations.”
CNI work supported by Minderoo’s funding will commence immediately following CHOGM.
Minderoo’s latest investment builds on the A$277 million the Foundation has contributed since 2020 to nature conservation and plastics action across Commonwealth countries, including Australia.
“Importantly, Minderoo’s $10 million represents genuinely additional philanthropic capital, rather than a reallocation of funding from existing initiatives,” Dr Forrest said.
“With the scale of investment required to achieve the global 30x30 target, Minderoo Foundation sees this commitment as a floor, not a ceiling.”
The launch of the CNI comes at a critical moment for global biodiversity. With just four years remaining to achieve the 30x30 target agreed under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022, governments and partners must accelerate the pace of conservation and increase finance to protect habitats and ecosystems, and support the communities that depend on them.
Minderoo Foundation will work to attract further support for the CNI, bringing together philanthropic, government and other partners to help deliver meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes.
The Commonwealth has an outsized role to play: it spans almost a quarter of the world’s land area and more than 40 per cent of global ocean Exclusive Economic Zones. Its members hold significant terrestrial and marine ecosystems, including some of the most important biodiversity and conservation priorities. The CNI seeks to unite efforts under a shared Commonwealth vision, bringing together high, middle and low-income countries under one platform of action.
Initial areas of focus for the CNI include the Eastern Caribbean, where the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) seeks to deliver their 30x30 Transformation Program; the Africa Keystone Protected Area Partnership, which aims to secure sustainable financing for 162 of Africa’s most irreplaceable protected areas; and the Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity initiative which seeks to secure long-term financing for marine and coastal conservation across the Pacific.
In the coming years, the Initiative will seek to expand its network of conservation programmes and financing opportunities across the Commonwealth, supporting countries to translate their 30x30 commitments into enduring action.