Conservation International Names Deborah Spalding as new Global Head of Nature Finance
September 19, 2024
ARLINGTON, Va. (September 19, 2024) – Conservation International welcomes Deborah Spalding as the new Global Head of Nature Finance, effective September 23.
Spalding will advance Conservation International’s commitments to protect and conserve nature. Specifically, she will lead the Nature Finance Division in unlocking investments for nature at scale, helping to finance nature-based solutions for climate and biodiversity, developing investment partnerships, building its portfolio of carbon projects and launching innovative financial instruments.
She joins the organization from Commonfund OCIO where she served as Chief Investment Officer. Previously, she was the Chief Investment Officer for the State of Connecticut and has worked for Working Lands Investment Partners and Schroder Investment Management. Since 2010, she has taught at the Yale School of the Environment.
“I’ve worked in at the center of investing, business and the environment my entire career, and this role leading Conservation International’s Nature Finance Division will allow me to draw from these wells of experience to finance nature at the scale and speed needed. I’m honored to join this organization whose leadership and commitment to conservation I greatly admire,” said Spalding.
“We’re delighted to have Deborah join us at Conservation International to lead our rapidly growing Nature Finance Division,” said CEO Dr. M. Sanjayan. “Her financial expertise, combined with her thoughtful and deep understanding of forestry, carbon markets and conservation, makes her the perfect fit to lead our pioneering efforts in nature financing. Deborah’s perspective will strengthen our work with partners from Goldman Sachs, BTG Pactual and key governments to tackle and finance the world’s biggest conservation challenges.”
Protecting and restoring nature could account for at least 30 percent of all global action needed to stabilize our climate. Yet highly cost-effective solutions receive just a fraction of climate funding. Conservation International is committed to unlocking nature investments at scale and its Nature Finance Division is working on innovative and integrated funding strategies, financial instruments and business models to deliver what the world needs most right now: mobilizing substantial investments for nature to help address the climate and biodiversity crises.
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About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Visit Conservation.org for more, and follow us on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
