New Year, Clear Vision
Communities for Nature founder Rhoda Phillips shares her musings on what she envisions for the future of the organisation. Bright things are ahead.
Some find reflection and goal-setting at the beginning of a new year a bit of a cliche, but for me, I find it quite therapeutic. The practice helps me keep our vision for CfN continually front of mind and as such, I thought I’d jot down a few of my thoughts below.
There is no doubt that the damage climate change is doing to our world is unprecedented. Research shows that 3.6 billion people already live in areas highly susceptible to climate change. And that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year, from undernutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress alone. This is NOT the outcome we want.
Our vision at CfN is to empower communities around the world most impacted by climate change, to be part of the change.
We do this by connecting forward-thinking NGOs with like-minded corporate partners and funders so they can work together on nature-based solutions. This type of collaboration with the right resources, support, and tools leads to innovative solutions that tackle the unique challenges these communities face.
Communities can then thrive amidst the extreme weather conditions that affect their way of life. And corporations can meet growing ESG demands from all their many, many stakeholders. Truly a win-win for all.
This year, we want to continue to grow and learn. We are a young, but dynamic, organisation, with so much ahead of us. Through carefully-curated partnerships, we aim to leverage both parties’ resources and expertise to drive real, tangible change among the communities we work with today. We have already done so much good in our ACE project with LMAX Group and Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Inc. And we continue to actively seek out opportunities to implement scalable climate projects while promoting grassroots involvement. (More to come on our partnership with ASRI soon!) This is no easy task, but we are up for it!
Looking even further ahead, we hope to expand our global presence even more and establish a reputation as a trusted organisation in the field of community-led climate action.
A major goal of ours is to develop sustainable models of development that integrate environmental and social considerations. Ones that can be replicated with ease and provide immediate impact. This will empower communities to be resilient in the face of climate change.
Also, through engaging and immersive learning, we will raise a generation of young people who will become tomorrow’s conservationists. Good citizens of the world who truly care and take action to look after the planet. Additionally, we will advocate for policy changes and collaborate with international organisations and governments to bring about systemic change and greater support for community-driven initiatives.
At the highest level, our vision is to make the world a better place, one community at a time. To leave a lasting legacy of resilient and empowered environmentally-focused partnerships – inspiring both corporations and communities to embrace sustainable practices, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and inspire others (especially the youth) to take action.