The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

What is it? 

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Since 1951 they have been working in partnership with individuals, local communities, government agencies, and private businesses to protect the natural landscapes that harbor the diversity of plant and animal life on Earth.

The Nature Conservancy’s  goals for 2030 are:

• Reduce or store 3 gigatons of CO2 emissions annually using the power of nature and the strength of policy and markets to reduce emissions, support renewable energy, and store carbon to reach their goal of avoiding or sequestering 3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
• Benefit 100 million people. They will help 100 million people at severe risk of climate-related emergencies by protecting and restoring the health of natural habitats (from mangroves and reefs to floodplains and forests) that help protect communities from storm surges, extreme rainfall, severe wildfires, and sea level rise.
• Conserve nearly 10 billion acres of ocean. They will conserve 4 billion hectares (9.9 billion acres) of the ocean through new and better-managed protected areas, global-scale sustainable fishing, innovative financing, and positive policy changes to how the world governs the seas.
• Conserve 1.6 billion acres of land. They will partner with communities around the globe to conserve 650 million hectares (about 1.6 billion acres) of land. Together they will restore and improve the management of working lands, support the leadership of Indigenous Peoples as land stewards, and conserve critical forests, grasslands, and other habitats rich in carbon and biodiversity.
• Conserve more than 620,000 miles of rivers. They will conserve 1 million kilometers (621,000 miles) of river systems and 30 million hectares (74 million acres) of lakes and wetlands by engaging in collaborative partnerships, promoting innovative solutions, and supporting policies that improve the quality and amount of water available in freshwater ecosystems and to communities.
• Support 45 million local stewards. They will support 45 million people whose well-being and livelihoods depend on healthy oceans, freshwater, and lands. They will partner with Indigenous People and other local communities to learn from and support their leadership in stewarding their environment, securing rights to resources, improving economic opportunities, and shaping their future.

TNC works with a range of companies to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

They recently launched the Global Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Framework for Regenerative and Restorative Aquaculture – Helping Nature Thrive Through Aquaculture. This Framework:

• Helps farmers identify and measure the environmental benefits they may be providing on their farm;
• Provides a consistent approach to measuring environmental benefits from similar species, systems, and/or practices across locations and over time;
• Aligns a quantitative understanding of the contributions to broader environmental goals around ecosystem resilience, protection, or repair; and,
• Recognizes key socioeconomic benefits that are associated with these environmental benefits.

The Framework aims to guide a common and consistent approach to collecting and monitoring the environmental benefits generated by aquaculture. 

This will assist in a more accurate assessment and valuation of aquaculture’s ecosystem services and will facilitate the exchange of information among farmers, sectors, and other stakeholders. The Framework has been designed to be adoptable and adaptable, meaning it can be used “as is” or customized to more localized MEL plans.

The Framework applies specifically to three aquaculture sectors and farming in marine (including coastal) or estuarine environments:

• Seaweed (macroalgae)
• Molluscs and echinoderms—including bivalves and gastropods but excluding cephalopods
• Finfish (the trimmings of which are often used in feed)

It is intended that future versions of the Framework will be developed for other sectors, farming practices, and ecosystem systems, such as finfish and shrimp farming in inland waters.