Abu Dhabi-based investment company Mubadala has announced a three-year collaboration with the UAE’s Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ Fund) to support conservation initiatives around the world.
Mubadala will contribute $1.5 million per year to the MBZ Fund, which will be used to support endangered flora and fauna in Africa and Asia, with an emphasis on countries where Mubadala has portfolio companies, such as West African country Guinea, Indonesia, Thailand, and others, which represent some of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.
This will also be the first agreement of its kind in the country, bringing together corporate and conservation donor organizations to invest in preventing biodiversity loss.
“The importance of biodiversity conservation is a priority for countries across the globe, and we are excited to enter this strategic partnership with Mubadala to tackle this issue. With this agreement, we are retaining and restoring endangered species globally, thereby underscoring the importance of the private sector in protecting our ecosystems and paving the way for a better future for the next generations. This strategic relationship will also contribute to positioning Abu Dhabi regionally and globally as a leader in combining corporate and conservation funding to make a tangible difference worldwide.”
The alliance is centered on reducing threats to endangered species and their ecosystems in three countries, Guinea, Indonesia, and Thailand. Funds will be used to protect endangered marine species in Guinea, including critically endangered marine turtles, the Atlantic humpbacked dolphin (Sousa teuszii), and the African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis).
Mr. Ahmed Al Calily, Chief Strategy and Risk Officer Mubadala remarked that “as a responsible global investor, we care deeply about the communities we operate in and are proud to partner with the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund based on its history and legacy in protecting endangered species around the globe.”
In Indonesia, funds will be used to support the marine ecosystem in the Makasaar Strait, especially coral reefs and seagrass, as well as terrestrial ecosystems in Aceh Province through wildcat conservation.
In Thailand, support will be focused on migratory wading birds, especially the Spotted greenshank (Tringa guttifer) and its mudflat and mangrove habitats in the northern Gulf of Thailand, as well as the Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and other freshwater species found at Kaeng Krachan National Park.
The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund was founded in 2009 to provide targeted grants to individual species conservation initiatives, recognizing leaders in the field of species conservation, and elevating the role of species in the wider conservation debate.
“This new partnership will further strengthen our existing community investment programs and help our efforts to address critical issues such as biodiversity and species conservation, which is aligned with our commitment to making long-term sustainable decisions that positively impact local and global communities,” Mr. Al Calily concluded.
