Can nature be financed like any other business — and should it be?

In this episode of TBLI Radical Truth, we sit down with Christopher White, strategist at Conservation International, where he has spent the past two years studying fiscal and operational interventions that fund international conservation efforts. Christopher is developing a new approach to conservation finance that generates economic and natural returns for both people and planet — and his insights challenge some of the sector's most deeply held assumptions.

At the centre of this conversation is the African Conservancies Facility (ACF) — one of the most innovative blended finance models in conservation today.

In this episode:

• Why financing nature is no different from financing any other business — it is about finding the right combination for each unique situation
• The hidden opportunities for investors and investees that only emerge once you start blending funding structures
• The origin story of the ACF — born as a pandemic rescue package for the Maasai Mara — and where it stands today
• How ACF is helping conservancies transition from concessional finance to commercially viable operations
• What the next phase of ACF looks like — and what the upcoming fundraising round means for investors
• How blended finance can unlock new capital flows into nature-based solutions at scale

The key insight: The conservation sector has long treated nature as a charity case. With the right financing structures, nature can be a commercially viable, return-generating asset — one that also delivers measurable outcomes for biodiversity, communities, and climate.

⏱️ Episode Guide:

• 0:00 — Can nature be financed like any other business?
• 0:X:XX — Lessons learned: finding the right financing combination
• 0:X:XX — The opportunities in blended conservation finance
• 0:X:XX — The African Conservancies Facility: origin and evolution
• 0:X:XX — From concessional to commercial: the ACF model in practice
• 0:X:XX — The next phase: upcoming fundraising and future potential

👤 About Christopher WhiteChristopher White joined Conservation International as a strategist in 2021, specialising in building solutions in complex and challenging environments. He has spent two years studying the fiscal and operational interventions that facilitate international conservation efforts and is developing a new blended finance approach to fund conservation work that generates returns for both people and planet. Conservation International launched the African Conservancies Facility in 2020 as a pandemic rescue package for the critically important Maasai Mara landscape in Kenya. Today, ACF enables conservancies to transition from concessional finance to commercially viable entities — offering loans that enhance and expand conservation areas while generating income for local communities.

Whether you are an impact investor, a conservation finance professional, a family office, or a fund manager exploring nature-based solutions, this episode delivers a practical and honest masterclass in making conservation financially sustainable.

Note: Please update timestamps marked 0:X:XX once confirmed.

ABOUT TBLI RADICAL TRUTHReal experience. Real results. No greenwashing. TBLI Group is the world's leading ESG and impact investing network — educating, advising, and connecting investors for 25 years.

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