Around 500 specialists who collaborate with the organization The Nature Conservancy (TNC) met in Merida on March 1, to evaluate and find solutions to the obstacles that hinder investment projects of environmental and social impact in Latin America and the Caribbean.
As every year, TNC participates in the Latin American Impact Investment Forum, which, according to Ana Carolina Izaguirre Corzo, specialist in finance for the sustainable development of the global group, is the most important environmental impact investment meeting in Latin America.
The forum brings together agents of change such as investors, entrepreneurs, foundations, development agencies, governments, governmental agencies, corporations and consultancy firms, in order to strengthen social entrepreneurship and environmental conservation investment in the region.
Working groups were formed among the participants to analyze and evaluate the sustainable developments of today and to listen to their progress.
According to Ana Carolina Izaguirre, in the last 2016 report, out of the total 20 billion dollars investment, only 9% was destined to Latin American and Caribbean countries.
In an interview, the TNC executive informed that experts need to verify and identify the different obstacles, the lack of technical capacity, the level of financial development and the lack of assistance for projects to advance as quickly as necessary, and generate the environmental, social and community benefits expected.
So far, Yucatán does not receive high-impact investments such as those promoted by TNC, but for five years it has been working on environmental issues, developing business skills and working with state governments to develop high-impact projects. For example, she recalled, The Nature Conservancy was one of the promoters of the Agreement for the Sustainability of the Yucatan Peninsula on December 10, 2016, but so far only the governments of Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo are working on this project and they know that, they will not be able to achieve the stated objectives, therefore they are looking for international funding.
“The business sector, the government and academia work on this plan, they show good collaboration, but resources are required for short and medium term results,” Izaguirre admitted.
In the last seven editions of the forum, more than 2,000 specialists from 25 countries, 40 sponsors and 600 high-level speakers have participated.
In Mexico the government has protected more than 3.5 million hectares of natural areas, 63 million dollars have been invested in the conservation of these natural resources and more than 650 leaders are being trained in order to maintain this initiative.
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