WWF-Singapore has unveiled Canopy, a regional nature finance facility designed to support the restoration of up to 12,000 hectares of high-quality ecosystems across Southeast Asia. Announced at the ASEAN–UK Green Transition Fund (GTF) Nature-based Solutions event in Jakarta, the initiative is backed by the ASEAN–UK GTF and aims to address financial and technical barriers in nature restoration.
Canopy seeks to enhance access to finance, strengthen project pipelines, and build local capacity for nature restoration. The programme will utilise blended capital—combining philanthropic and return-seeking investments—to support early-stage projects, ensuring they reach investment readiness whilst maintaining environmental and social integrity. Matteo Marinelli, Asia Pacific Lead for Sustainable Finance at WWF, emphasised the importance of careful project design and support from the outset, stating, “When applied carefully, blended finance can direct resources that are most critical for long-term impact.”
The initiative will focus on early-stage project design, ecological suitability, and community partnerships, providing capacity-building support to ASEAN Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) involved in carbon projects. Canopy’s initial phase will cover up to 3,000 hectares, aiming to generate approximately 1,000,000 tonnes of high-quality carbon credits.
By collaborating with partners like Climate Bridge International and Terraformation Inc., Canopy aims to strengthen regional delivery capacity and support high-integrity carbon investment practices. This coordinated approach is expected to bolster confidence in nature-based climate outcomes across the region, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable future for Southeast Asia.
