With an innovative idea for sustainable timber plantation management, the organisation Viet Nature is the winner of the Mobilising More 4 Climate (MoMo) challenge 2018. With this project they contribute to both climate adaptation and mitigation in Vietnam.
Viet Nature has a long term wildlife and habitats conservation project in Vietnam, where illegal logging continues to be a problem. Their innovative model combines large timber plantations of Acacia with Tarrietia javanica – a native timber species.
Combining these different tree species leads to a mixed plantation and a resilient ecosystem. In the Viet Nature model, wood is harvested after 12 years in contrast to harvests after 6 years. This doubles the rotation time of the forest. This results in a financial advantage because the value of the wood has at least tripled and allows the plantation owners to work towards FSC certification. In addition, a longer rotation time contributes to a greater capacity of the plantations to sequester CO2 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The prize is € 25,000 starting capital to further develop and implement the idea. The finals took place during the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) Investor Forum 2018 in Paris. In a Dragons’ Den competition, the finalists pitched to an audience of more than 100 impact investors. MoMo 4 Climate is a competition for business models that contribute to climate mitigation or adaptation in developing countries, on the initiative of IUCN NL.
Promising proposals
43 organisations submitted a climate idea to the Challenge prior to the event. A panel, consisting of Dutch experts in the field of climate finance, assessed all proposals during the year and nominated the most promising proposals. Yesterday, Viet Natures proposal for Sustainable timber plantation management emerged as the winner.
Tuan Anh Pham from Viet Nature has already thought carefully how she wants to use the prize to mobilise more climate finance. Pham: “We want to spend € 25,000 on a first pilot with 2 to 4 farmers on approximately 9 hectares of land around the Khe Nuoc Trong project area.”
Joëlla van Rijn, climate finance coordinator at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and member of the MoMo panel looked at the idea through her financial point of view: “The Viet Nature proposal contributes both to climate adaptation and climate mitigation. Due to the longer rotation time, these forest plantations have the opportunity to build a robust and strong ecosystem. That is climate-proof due to greater density and diversity of species.”
Finalists
In the final event Viet Nature competed against the other five finalists. The audience applauded all six strong business proposals. The finalists were well prepared and passionate for their cause. Read here all about the finalists:
Green Leaf Protein: Green Leaf Protein
Bleurise: Sustainable cooling and power from the ocean
Agro Eco B.V.: Timber in Cocoa Agroforestry
Simultaan: Biomass Pellet Industry in Nepal
Nature Connect India: Saving forests for business, climate and communities in the Western Ghats of India
Viet Nature: Sustainable timber plantation management
MoMo continues to mobilise
MoMo 4 Climate continues to take on the challenge of mobilising private financing by recruiting innovative projects in developing countries in the clean-tech, food, agro, forestry and water sectors.
Earlier this year MoMo Tanzania was launched and local entrepreneurs submitted climate proposals with a good business case. In Tanzania MoMo focuses on the SAGCOT region, the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor or Tanzania. In cooperation with the Netherlands embassy & the SAGCOT center, IUCN NL will organise the final of MoMo Tanzania early 2019.
MoMo 4 Climate is an initiative of the Dutch Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN NL) and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The aim of the MoMo initiative is to guide ideas with potential for a positive climate impact to projects that are ‘investor-ready’.