Biodiversity Bridge Vehicle (BBV) (Design of a project finance platform)

Biodiversity Bridge Vehicle (BBV) is a grant from the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme that funds the design, development, and piloting of an innovative biodiversity monitoring and transport vehicle concept.

The BBV initiative supports interdisciplinary teams in creating mobile infrastructure capable of collecting environmental data, facilitating species surveys, and supporting conservation work across diverse and remote ecosystems. Eligible applicants include research consortia, technology developers, environmental organizations, and academic institutions from EU member states and associated countries.

Projects must demonstrate technical feasibility, a clear methodology for biodiversity data collection, and potential for scalable deployment. The grant supports both the engineering design phase and operational testing of the vehicle concept.

Design of a project finance platform that generates carbon and biodiversity credits through native species reforestation projects - Blended Finance Accelerator | Convergence Design of a project finance platform that generates carbon and biodiversity credits through native species reforestation projects The Biodiversity Bridge Vehicle (BBV) is envisioned to be a USD 100 million project finance platform that generates carbon and biodiversity credits through native species reforestation projects.

The vehicle will build on Ponterra’s approach to developing and operating biodiverse carbon projects by monetizing biodiversity uplift alongside carbon sequestration, thereby enhancing the affordability and feasibility of implementing high-integrity nature restoration projects.

In Latin America and across the globe, deforestation and biodiversity loss threaten vital ecosystems, resulting in negative impacts for nature, climate, and communities. Despite the increasing demand for nature-based solutions, there are limited financing structures that can effectively integrate and incentivize high-integrity biodiversity restoration alongside carbon sequestration.

This gap prevents the scale-up of projects that could simultaneously address climate change and support additional costs associated with effective biodiversity monitoring, verification, and reporting - meaning crucial high-integrity initiatives often fail to secure sufficient funding.

The Biodiversity Bridge Vehicle (BBV) bridges this financing gap by blending concessional and commercial capital to fund projects that generate both carbon and biodiversity credits.

The structure is designed to address key market barriers to financing these projects by (1) leveraging concessional capital to provide upfront funding for biodiversity restoration and monitoring in exchange for biodiversity credits and (2) using carbon credits as a backstop to repay concessional investors if the biodiversity market fails to materialize, thereby de-risking the investment.

This concessional capital will be blended with commercial investment in carbon credits, enhancing the feasibility of achieving high-integrity nature restoration alongside carbon removal and providing a sustainable funding model for future conservation efforts.

By working closely with local communities and landowners, BBV seeks to provide long-term socioeconomic benefits including revenue-sharing through long-term lease arrangements, job creation, and training opportunities.

The CC Facility is supporting the BBV by engaging concessional and commercial investors focused on biodiversity and developing robust gender and impact frameworks to ensure inclusive implementation and transparent and credible reporting. This support is designed to enable the BBV to scale its operations across Latin America while mobilizing significant capital from diverse funding sources. Ponterra - https://ponterra.

eco/ Status In progress Year and Quarter CC Facility, 2024, Cycle 2 Design Activity Proof of Concept Region Focus Latin America & the Caribbean Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates on Convergence. Blended Finance Accelerator (formerly Design Funding)