CLOCKWISE: ECUADOR, © RALPH LEE HOPKINS | CHINA, © KYLE OBERMANN | KENYA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY KATIE BRYDEN | COSTA RICA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY FASDO AZOFEIFA

CLOCKWISE: KENYA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY KATIE BRYDEN | MEXICO, © JESSICA SCRANTON | KENYA, © GEORGINA GOODWIN | TIMOR-LESTE, © CRISTINA MITTERMEIER/SEALEGACY

CLOCKWISE: ANTARCTICA, © RICHARD SIDEY/GALAXIID | MOZAMBIQUE, © SAMUEL TACUANA/PIXABAY | BRAZIL, © IMAGO PHOTO | PAPUA NEW GUINEA, © JEFF YONOVER

CLOCKWISE: TIMOR-LESTE, © CRISTINA MITTERMEIER/SEALEGACY | KENYA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY KATIE BRYDEN | SOLOMON ISLANDS, © TOM GRUBER/ FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS| COLOMBIA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY DANIEL URIBE© CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA CROZIER

1

3. ROBERTSPORT, LIBERIA, © MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER BROWN

1. TIMOR-LESTE, © CRISTINA MITTERMEIER/SEALEGACY | 2. ALTO MAYO, PERU, © THOMAS MULLER

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Building upon a strong
foundation of science,
partnership andfield demonstration,
Conservation International
empowers societies
to responsibly andsustainably care for nature,
our global biodiversity, for
the well-being of humanity.

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMANLETTER FROM THE CEO

WHERE WE WORKPROTECTING NATURE TO PREVENT
CLIMATE CATASTROPHEPROTECTING THE OCEAN TO
PROTECT HUMANITYSUSTAINABLE LANDS AND WATERSINNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE AND FINANCE

WHAT’S NEXT?

SENIOR STAFF LISTING
2

WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

3

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

9

10

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALSAMBURU, KENYA, © JONATHAN IRISH

ANNETTE LANJOUWChief Executive Officer, Arcus Foundation

11

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Peter A. Seligmann
Conservation International
Seattle, Washington
CHAIRMAN OF THE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Wes
Bush
Former Chairman andChief Executive Officer
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Falls Church, Virginia
VICE CHAIR
Harrison Ford
Actor
Los Angeles, California
BOARD MEMBERSJohn Arnhold
Managing Member
Arnhold LLC
New York, New York
Skip Brittenham
Senior Partner
Ziffren Brittenham LLP
Los Angeles, California
Idris Elba, OBE
Actor
London, UK
André Esteves
Senior Partner
Banco BTG Pactual S/ASão Paulo, BrazilMark Ferguson
Founding Partner
Generation Investment
Management
London, UK

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

ALCATRAZES ISLANDS, BRAZIL, © FLAVIO FORNER

Robert J. Fisher
Chairman of the Board
Gap Inc.
San Francisco, California

Madame Qiaonyu He
Chairman, Orient Landscape
Investment Holdings Co. Ltd.
Founder, Beijing Qiaonyu
Foundation
Beijing, China
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim
Founder and Coordinator,
Association for Indigenous
Women and Peoples of
Chad (AFPAT)
Lui-Walton Senior Indigenous
FellowParis, France
Lisa Jackson
Vice President, Environment,
Policy and Social Initiatives
Apple, Inc.
Cupertino, California
Laurene Powell Jobs
Founder and Board Chair
Emerson Collective
Palo Alto, California
Hon. Andy Karsner
Senior Strategist,
X - The Moonshot Factory(Alphabet’s Labs)
Executive Chairman, Elemental Labs
Palo Alto, California
Michael Klein
Managing Partner
M. Klein & Company
New York, New YorkDavid Leuschen
Co-Founder and Senior
Managing Director
Riverstone Holdings
New York, New York
Yvonne Lui, Ph.D.
Founder
Yvonne L. K. Lui Trust
Hong Kong

Victor Fung, Ph.D.
ChairmanFung Group
Hong Kong

Valerie Mars
Mars, Inc.
McLean, Virginia

Jeff Gale
Chairman and Director of
Photography
GreenGale Publishing
New York, New YorkL. Rafael Reif, Ph.D.
President
Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Isaac Pritzker
Principal
Tao Capital Partners
San Francisco, California
Stewart A. Resnick
Chairman of the Board
The Wonderful Company
Los Angeles, California
Story Clark Resor
Chief Executive Officer
TravelStorysGPS
Wilson, Wyoming
M. Sanjayan, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Conservation International
Arlington, Virginia
Andres Santo Domingo
Kemado Label GroupBrooklyn, New YorkJohn Swift
Conservationist
Los Osos, California
Enki Tan, M.D.
Executive Chairman
Giti Tire Global Trading Pte Ltd
Singapore
Byron TrottFounder, Chairman and CEO
BDT and Company
Chicago, Illinois
Rob Walton
Chairman of the Board (retired)
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas
David S. Winter
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Standard Industries
New York, New YorkAs of November 202013

Members of Conservation International’s Leadership Council are
dedicated to furthering the organization’s mission through community
connections, professional expertise and skills, and financial support.

Michael Haas
Oakland, California

Christopher Redlich
San Francisco, California

Ellen Bronfman Hauptman
Los Angeles, California

Lee Rhodes
Seattle, Washington

Sarah E. Johnson
New York, New York

Nancy Morgan Ritter
Los Angeles, California

Nick Kukrika
London, United Kingdom

Jeff Rosenthal
Austin, Texas

Lisa Anderson
Seattle, Washington

Frans Lanting
Santa Cruz, California

Maureen Schafer
Las Vegas, Nevada

Patrice Auld
Seattle, Washington

Aileen Lee
Palo Alto, California

Jesse Sisgold
Los Angeles, California

Steven Bell
Estes Park, Colorado

Finn T. Longinotto
Miami Beach, Florida

Richard Sneider
Los Angeles, California

Kristina Brittenham
Los Angeles, California

Thomas E. Lovejoy
Fairfax, Virginia

Wm. Laney Thornton
San Francisco, California

Tom Byers
Palo Alto, California

Ashok Mahbubani
Huntsville, Alabama

Kevin Vilkin
Eden, Utah

Kelly Chapman
Seattle, Washington

Jon McCormack
Los Altos, California

Lindsay Feldman Weissert
Santa Monica, California

Anisa Kamadoli Costa
New York, New York

Kris Moore
Los Altos Hills, California

Christopher White
Seattle, Washington

John de Neufville
Santa Monica, California

Eddy Moretti
Brooklyn, New York

Shannon Wong
Austin, Texas

Alan Dynner
Boston, Massachusetts

Seth Neiman
San Francisco, California

Shailene Woodley
Los Angeles, California

Lisa Dynner
Boston, Massachusetts

Philip O’Connor
Missoula, Montana

Gillian Wynn
Santa Monica, California

Jane GaleLas Vegas, Nevada

Austin O’Reilly
Springfield, Missouri

July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020

Mary C. Gallo
Modesto, California

Lee Pace
New York, New YorkCHAIRPERSON
Katie Vogelheim
Tiburon, California
VICE CHAIRPERSON
Daniel A. Shaw
Woody Creek, Colorado

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

ACRE, BRAZIL, © FLAVIO FORNER

MEMBERS
Catherine Allchin
Seattle, Washington

15

2020 was a different kind ofyear, one that ripped apart ourpreconceptions and laid bare somedevastating truths.

It revealed our vulnerability to illness and disease.
It reinforced the consequences of neglecting our
climate. And it exposed the damage that systemic
racism continues to inflict on oppressed communities
around the world.
It was also, in my mind, one of the most consequential
years in Conservation International’s history. Ourleadership team, and our entire staff, responded tothese challenges with integrity and honesty while neverlosing sight of our collective commitment to secure thehealth of the Earth for all of humanity. As you will readin this report, we made extraordinary alliances with
communities, collaborating to protect their places fromharm. We forged strong partnerships with corporations,based upon their commitment to reduce the impact of
their operations while committing resources to protect
forests and oceans at an accelerating pace. And weworked with governments so they could further theircommitments to protecting the health of their nations
and their people.

More than a year has passed since a
global pandemic transformed our lives. As
individuals, we became more isolated thanever before. But as an organization, we came
together with compassion and a renewed
sense of purpose to achieve great outcomesin the face of an unprecedented crisis.

not on that pathway yet, and we will only get there bymaking dramatic and immediate changes.

The world has not yet returned to normal. It may never.
But we can see light at the end of the long tunnel, and it
illuminates the lessons of the past few months that wemust always carry with us. When I think about the futureof our organization, here is what stands out for me:

This is a daunting task, but the good news is that
we are facing it with more potential allies than everbefore. What is now crystal clear to so many is thatevery person on Earth has the right to a healthyplanet. Caring for the Earth is a unifying platform thathas the power to activate young people, transform thebehavior of companies and activate the commitmentsof governments.

1.

Our task now is to forge new partnerships anddevelop innovative new solutions. We will need tobe agile. We will need to be creative. We will need
your support.

2.

Sincerely,

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL© GEORGINA GOODWIN

16© CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

We have a strong and healthy organization, one withthe agility, wisdom and ambition to achieve our goals
over the next few years. These efforts will require us tomaintain this disposition and combine it with an insistent PETER SELIGMANNCHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
and reinvigorated intensity. Because here is anotherhard truth: The task of keeping global temperaturesfrom rising above 1.5 degrees is enormous. We are

If we ever needed a reminder of the role that natureplays in our lives, the past year delivered in spades.
From catastrophic wildfires and storms to an economy-shattering pandemic, the consequences ofneglecting our relationship with nature wereconsequential and inescapable.
Many leading companies doubled down on theircommitments to carbon neutrality and sustainability,
showing a remarkable willingness to lead. Just when
you might expect CEOs to hit the pause button, themost ambitious teams were going further, faster— protecting their supply chains and anticipating
societal seismic shifts. I find that the greatest leaps
are often made in headwinds, and that’s exactly
what we are seeing with companies eager to pullaway from the pack.

3.

Though inherently slow, governments acted as well,with 60 countries joining the High Ambition Coalition
for Nature, the UK and EU putting nature firmly on
the agenda and even China committing to carbon
neutrality by 2060. Through sweeping executive
orders, the United States laid out an ambitious
climate agenda just in the nick of time.

4.

Individual lifestyles changed, too. Many of us realizedthat productivity does not have to mean unremitting
travel. Others discovered or rekindled a love for theoutdoors. Trails, parks and wild areas were crowdedwith visitors. Bicycles and canoes were sold out.
People are becoming more engaged with the natural
world overall. Perhaps they will become more willingto prioritize nature as well.

5.

And finally, a long-overdue reckoning with theimpact of systemic racism and colonialism on
conservation has been thrust into full view. With itcomes a tremendous opportunity to build a more
inclusive organization and a more meritocratic
movement, where diversity, equity and inclusion
are foundational to good, lasting conservation
outcomes.

Thinking about life after the pandemic, it’s clear thathumanity has reached an inflection point. Nearly every
sector of society recognizes the urgent need to equitably
address our most pressing environmental challenges.
Now, we must translate that realization into decisive
action.
We at Conservation International have a critical role toplay. By seizing on the opportunities created by theselessons, we won’t just achieve our goals. We will help
to lead the movement that creates a more equitable
and sustainable world — one where we fully realize ourpotential to save nature and nature’s potential to save us
all.
With gratitude for your steadfast support and belief inConservation International,

DR. M. SANJAYANCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

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In March, Suriname passed anenvironmental protection law,
the first in its history.

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3. SAMBURU, KENYA, © JONATHAN IRISH
4. LAU ISLANDS, FIJI, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY SERA NAGUSUCAWith our help,
25,000 hectares(64,000 acres) of land
were conserved in
Mexico.

ILLUSTRATIONS: © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA CROZIER
1. CHIAPAS, MEXICO, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY KAREN MIKOSZ
2. SIPALIWINI DISTRICT, SURINAME, © TROND LARSEN

Starting with our first project in Bolivia more than 30 years ago, Conservation International
has helped support 1,200 protected areas across 77 countries, protecting more than 601
million hectares (1.485 billion acres) of land and sea. With offices in 28 countries worldwide,
Conservation International’s reach has never been broader, but our mission remains thesame: to protect nature for the benefit of us all.

The pandemic took a toll
on nature. Conservation
International offered
solutions.

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Through the Blue Nature Alliance,
we helped two countries take big
steps to protect the ocean.
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that Conservation International
helped deliver in 2020

Samoa committed to protectingof its ocean area —a massive increase from the
1 percent currently protected.

1

The Priceless Planet Coalition will
employ a forest restoration model
dedicated to planting

2

trees and regrowing forests
where they are most needed.

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

4
3. INDONESIA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY DONNY IQBAL
4. SHAMPUYACU, ALTO MAYO, PERU, © CI PERU/ MARLON DEL ÁGUILA

people in seven countries.

1. SAMOA, © STUART CHAPE | 2. MADAGASCAR, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY STERLING ZUMBRUNN

A partnership with the French government
will conserve approximately 10% of
Amazonia and benefit more than

3

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALINDONESIA, © JOEL VODELLPRIORITY 1

By 2025, Conservation International and its
partners will avoid and remove 3 gigatonsof carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by
securing or restoring nearly 400,000 square
kilometers (154,000 square miles) of forestsand lands around the world.

Yet Conservation International forged ahead.
Our scientists and technical experts widened
the world’s understanding of nature’s role in the
climate, defining areas of nature we must protect,and how.

DOMA, TANZANIA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY TRISTAN SCHNADERSAN JOSE, COSTA RICA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY DANIELA CALVO

These insights are now guiding global efforts inconservation policy and finance.

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THE CARBON WE CAN’T
AFFORD TO LOSE

All told, the amount of “irrecoverable carbon” stored in these ecosystems is equivalent to decadesof fossil fuel emissions, at current
rates.
Conservation International is now
using this research to undertake
an ambitious initiative to protect
tens of thousands of square milesof natural areas, working with theprivate sector, communities andgovernments to make conservation of these areas a priority.

26

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALJOHAN ROCKSTRÖMCHIEF SCIENTIST, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

KAIMANA, INDONESIA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY ANNISA PERTIWI

A team of researchers determined how much carbon isstored in nature around the world
and measured how long it would
take to get it back if it is lost —and what that loss would meanfor humanity. With these criteria,
the researchers were able to pinpoint which ecosystems are most
crucial to prioritize for climate
action — and where humans canactually have an impact.

VALLE DEL CAUCA, COLOMBIA, © ASOCIACIÓN CALIDRIS/IMAGE BY JEISSON ZAMUDIO

To prevent a climate catastrophe, there are certain places on Earththat must be protected above all else, according to research byConservation International scientists. Why? Because of the climatewarming carbon that these ecosystems store.

SCIENTISTS MEASURE THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF A MANGROVE TREE FOR BLUE CARBON RESEARCH IN KAIMANA, WEST PAPUA, INDONESIA.

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALCHYULU HILLS, KENYA, © AMI VITALEHINDOU OUMAROU IBRAHIM
Conservation Activist
Lui-Walton Senior Indigenous Fellow
Conservation International Board Member

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A TREE GROWS —IF WE LET IT
Humanity has cleared nearly half of the world’s forests. But what would
happen if we let many of these lands return back to forests? And how muchclimate-warming carbon would they absorb?

faster — and capture
significantly morecarbon from theatmosphere — than
was previously
estimated.

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

These findings represent a quantum leap in our understanding of

the potential of forest restoration,
underscoring the need for more
restoration projects while identifying the specific places where
Conservation International andits partners in reforestation canbe most effective over the next
30 years.

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2

HARNESSING ‘BLUE CARBON’

1. CISPATÁ, COLOMBIA, © DANIEL URIBE | 2. MISOOL ISLANDS, INDONESIA, © BURT JONES AND MAURINE SHIMLOCK© CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA CROZIER

Tropical forests canregrow up to

The results, published in the journal Nature, found that tropicalforests can regrow up to 32 percent faster — and capture significantly more carbon from the atmosphere — than was previously
estimated.

PARÁ, BRAZIL, © FLAVIO FORNER

A team of researchers, includingConservation International climate expert Bronson Griscom,created a global map to help
answer these questions, using
artificial intelligence to determine
how much — and how quickly —forests could absorb and store
carbon from the atmosphere if
humans simply left them alone.

Hugging coastlines throughout the tropics, “bluecarbon” ecosystems — mangroves, seagrasses
and salt marshes — are climate superstars: Ina single square mile, mangroves hold as muchcarbon as the annual emissions of 90,000 cars.
But these areas have been shutout of carbon markets, precluding incentives to protect themwhile depriving coastal communities of economic opportunities.
Conservation International achieveda breakthrough this year when
its methodology for blue carbon
crediting was approved. It is thefirst system of its kind to actually

measure the amount of carbon
stored in soils, where the majorityof blue carbon lies. This approvalis critical for harnessing the power of “blue carbon” ecosystems
as a natural climate solution, ensuring that blue carbon credits
are in compliance with some of
the most rigorous and widely recognized standards on the market. It also creates a vital financial
incentive to protect some of themost valuable carbon sinks on
the planet.
Conservation International is now
using the methodology to generate verified carbon credits in
our project in Cispatá, Colombia,
credits that will soon be available
for sale on the voluntary market.

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BOOSTING
CLIMATE POLICY

If given final approval, the airline carbon
market has the potential to generate

Conservation
International scored
two significant winsin the national andinternational policy
arenas.

in revenue over 15 years.

Under the Paris Agreement, every country must enumerate its
responsibility to help curb climate change through nationallydetermined contributions (NDCs).
Conservation International has
worked closely with the Liberian government to incorporate
nature into its NDCs. In addition
to clean energy commitments,
Liberia’s most recent update includes tremendous gains in the
agriculture, forestry, fisheries andcoastal sectors.
And the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) — anagency of the UN that sets global
aviation standards — approveda plan to help airlines neutralize
their carbon footprint by protecting nature. Aviation remains oneof the world’s top carbon-emitting sectors, and this announcement can help to compensate forthe emissions generated by international flights. Conservation
International helped to make thishappen, engaging policymakers
on the creation of a market forairlines to purchase forest-basedcarbon credits from approved
programs. If given final approval,
this market has the potential togenerate $5 billion in revenue
over 15 years.

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

1. LIBERIA, © MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER BROWN | 2. INDONESIA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY AULIA ERLANGGA

2

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALKRI ISLAND, WEST PAPUA, INDONESIA, © LUKE HOSTYPRIORITY 2

Conservation International aims to achieve theconservation of 18 million square kilometers(7 million square miles) of ocean supporting
the global target of protecting 30 percent by
2030, while improving at least 20 fisheries
and aquaculture areas supporting the target
of producing 75 percent of seafood produced
using socially responsible and environmentally
sustainable methods by 2030.

TIMOR-LESTE, © CRISTINA MITTERMEIER/SEALEGACYHONDURAS, © JOANNE WESTON

From exploring mysterious deep-water coral reefs tolaunching an ambitious new global partnership for largescale ocean protection, Conservation International madesignificant strides in understanding the largest and leastexplored biome on Earth.

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SMALL STEPS FOR BIGCONSERVATION GAINS
Around 20 percent of the world’s
coral is already gone; much ofwhat remains could be wipedout by the end of this century. A
Conservation International study
showed that this future can beprevented with relatively small
steps such as creating marine
protected areas or stronger
fishing regulations. Researchers
found that when applied to coral
reefs with low-to-medium humanimpacts, these two strategies
create a “coral reef first aid kit”
that can have massive benefits— giving reefs a fighting chance
before it’s too late.

DEEP-SEA DISCOVERIESWith the help of underwater
robots and our partners at the
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, scientists, including Conservation International’s Daniel Wagner, discovered
three new species of black coralin the north Pacific, hundreds ofmeters below the surface. With
lifespans ranging from centuries
to millennia, black corals aresome of the longest-living animals on the planet. They produce
bioactive compounds that could
be used to fight cancer and otherdiseases.

Conservation
International scientists
identified more thanpreviously unknown
reefs on the high seas.

1. HUTCHINSON SEAMOUNT, NORTH PACIFIC, © NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION
2. TIMOR-LESTE, © CRISTINA MITTERMEIER/SEALEGACY

In 2020, we made new discoveries about coral reefs — epicenters ofmarine biodiversity, and linchpins of economies and food security aroundthe world — which are under grave threat from pollution, overfishing andclimate change.

© CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA CROZIERRESCUING CORAL REEFS

2

More time is needed to study the
deep sea. That’s why Conservation International has called for aminimum 10-year moratorium on
deep-sea mining — the biggest
impending threat to deep-sea
corals and many other vulnerable
species — to better understandits risks and ensure we avoid endangering ecosystems that are
still largely unknown.

1
WITH THE HELP OF UNDERWATER ROBOTS, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTISTSDISCOVERED THREE NEW SPECIES OF BLACK CORAL IN THE NORTH PACIFIC.

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALCAMARONAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, COSTA RICA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY MÓNIKA NARANJO GONZÁLEZN I CO A N D SA R A H A RGY RO P OU LOS
Surf Conservation Partnership, Advisory Board Members
and Founding Donors

41

To effectively conserve
marine ecosystems —and provide benefits tothe people who dependon them — Conservation
International has led thecreation of more than
100 marine protectedareas around the world.

From villages to national governments, we build partnerships
among local decision-makers tosustainably manage large ocean
areas.
In 2020, Samoa committed toprotecting 30 percent of its oceanarea, which will be a massive increase from the 1 percent currently under protection. Conservation
International is providing technicalexpertise to guide the implementation of Samoa’s 10-year ocean
strategy designed to sustainably
manage the country’s ocean andmarine resources.

And in Atauro Island, a diver’s paradise off the coast of Timor-Leste
in Southeast Asia, Conservation
International worked with local
communities to unify 12 marine
protected areas into a single network, with the goal of strengthening conservation efforts. Dive
tourism businesses have agreed
to pay for access to the network’s
pristine dive sites — marking thefirst time a group of communities
will generate income from theircommitments to conservation.

ATAURO ISLAND, TIMOR-LESTE, © PAUL HILTON FOR CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

CREATING REFUGES FORHEALTHIER OCEANS
1

2

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
SEAFOOD
Modern slavery, human trafficking, child labor — thesehuman rights violations have only recently become part of
the global dialogue around sustainably sourced seafood.
To address these issues, Conservation International led the development of the Monterey Framework for Socially Responsible
Seafood, a protocol that now hasover two dozen commitmentsfrom major seafood businesses.

of its ocean area – amassive increase fromthe 1 percent that iscurrently protected.

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

1. © GARY STOKES | 2. LIBERIA, © TROND LARSEN

Samoa committed toprotecting

Moving from principles topractice, we worked with governments, companies and researchers to help identify risks
in seafood supply chains. Built
on the Monterey Framework, oursocial responsibility assessment
tool offers practical indicators touncover critical information gaps
and areas that need improvement — including treatment offishers, safety practices and otherkey rights and needs.
We are taking these strategies
to scale by applying them in entire national and regional jurisdictions. In the Cook Islands, forexample, Conservation International is collaborating with thegovernment, the tuna seafood industry and traditional leadershipgroups to develop and apply rigorous standards of environmental sustainability, social responsibility and economic performance,
which all tuna vessels operating
within the Cook Island jurisdiction
must meet.

43

The Rob and Melani Walton Foundation, the Minderoo Foundationand the Global Environment Facility all joined as founding partners. With additional support
from the Tiffany & Co. Foundationand the Gordon and Betty Moore
Foundation, the alliance made a
big splash for the health of theworld’s oceans, with several winsin its inaugural year:
Fiji invests in turtles: The waters surrounding the Lau Islandsof Fiji were the first Blue NatureAl­
liance engagement, helping
establish new protections cov­
ering 335,000 square kilometers(129,000 square miles) of ocean.
This engagement builds upon the

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

leadership of local communities
to protect their coastal waters —and the species they support —including the village of Mavana,which recently collaborated with
Conservation International to create a new marine protected areathat prevents fishing and diving
activities that could disturb endangered sea turtles’ habitat.
Tiny island makes big move:
In the South Atlantic, Tristan da
Cunha — the world’s most remote
inhabited archipelago — committed to protecting 90 percent of
its territory’s waters, creating thelargest marine protected area in
the Atlantic. Through the alliance,
Conservation International provided critical funding and technicalexpertise that enabled this area
to be protected at twice the size it
would have been otherwise.

1

1. TRISTAN DA CUNHA, ©2017 CHARLES BERGMAN/SHUTTERSTOCK | 2. TRISTAN DA CUNHA, ©2018 MALOFF/SHUTTERSTOCK

In 2020, Conservation International and the
Pew Charitable Trusts launched a global
partnership to catalyze ocean conservation at an
unprecedented scale.

LAU SEASCAPE, FIJI, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY MARK ERDMANN | © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA CROZIERAN AMBITIOUS ALLIANCE TO
PROTECT OUR OCEANS

2
TRISTAN DA CUNHA — THE WORLD’S MOST REMOTE INHABITED ARCHIPELAGO.

45

46

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALANTARCTICA, © RICHARD SIDEY/GALAXIIDK AT H LY N TA N
Director, Rumah Group and Rumah Foundation
Conservation International Singapore Board Member

47

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

MOUNT PANIÉ, NEW CALEDONIA, © SHAWN HEINRICHSPRIORITY 3

Together with partners, Conservation International
will develop sustainable production and innovative
ﬁnancing models to improve human well-being
through nature-based development in 16 criticalecosystems around the world by 2025.

But in 2020, a global pandemic brought home what
can happen to people when nature doesn’t thrive.
The novel coronavirus — believed to have jumped
from bats to humans, in a grim testament to what
happens when nature is disturbed — left its mark on
landscapes and seascapes everywhere.

CHIAPAS, MEXICO, © JOSHUA TRUJILLO, STARBUCKSTAPACHULA, MEXICO, © JESSICA SCRANTON

As infections rippled around the world, slowing
or halting much of our fieldwork, Conservation
International pivoted quickly, using our science andour global reach to help policymakers understandthe effects of the pandemic on nature and people,
and what can be done to prevent another one.

51

POACHING ON THE RISE
After the pandemic hit, Conservation International field offices
went on alert, carefully following
the situation in our project sitesaround the world. What theyfound: Poaching and deforestation increased after COVID-19
restrictions went into effect, withbushmeat and ivory poaching incidents becoming more frequentin Africa, while Amazonian deforestation in Brazil reached a nineyear high. Evidence suggeststhat the majority of these activities were enabled by weakened
enforcement efforts that people
exploited — some driven by desperation, others by profit.

PROTECTED AREAS IN PERIL
Similarly, Conservation International identified legal rollbacks toenvironmental protections as a
key threat during the pandemic,launching a website to track suchrollbacks and putting the issue on
policymakers’ radars in an editorial in Scientific American.
FISHERIES DEVASTATEDA Conservation International
study analyzed the extent ofthat damage to small-scale fisheries — the coastal and non-industrial fishing enterprises thatmake up more than 90 percentof the global fishing industry —and what must be done to bringthem back.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION
Then in July, mere months after
the pandemic hit, Conservation
International scientists co-authored a landmark study in thejournal Science showing thatsociety could prevent future
pandemics through nature conservation for a small fraction of
the many trillions of dollars that
COVID-19 will cost humanity. The
insights in this paper were widely
cited and have since became afoundational component of pandemic prevention and recovery
initiatives for the U.S. Congress,
the Biden administration and European policymakers.

© CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA CROZIER
1. SERENGETI, TANZANIA, © LESLIE RUSSELL

In the early days of lockdowns, the idea that nature was “getting
a break” was quickly disproven, as Conservation International
researchers uncovered.

2. TIMOR-LESTE, © CRISTINA MITTERMEIER/SEALEGACY | 3. SURINAME, © TROND LARSEN

PANDEMIC AND NATURE

3

1

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

2

53

STUDYING — AND STREAMLINING— WALMART’S ‘FOOTPRINT’
helpedWalmartfocus
its
work, whereafter the company
committed to protect, restore andimprove the management of 20
million hectares (50 million acres)of land and 2.6 million square
kilometers (1 million square miles)of ocean.

Walmart committed to protect and steward

acres of land andsquare miles of ocean.

1

2

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

3

4

BALANCING PROTECTION,
PRODUCTION IN MEXICO
3. LA ENCRUCIJADA BIOSPHERE RESERVE, MEXICO, © JESSICA SCRANTON | 4. CHIAPAS, MEXICO, © CRISTINA MITTERMEIER

Last year, with the help ofConservation International, thecompany went even further,committing to place nature
at the core of its business.
To do this, Walmart will support
more sustainable agriculture,
improve fisheries management,
and encourage forest protection
and restoration. Conservation
International helped Walmart set
these goals by implementing
a first-of-its-kind analysis that

1. NORTH SUMATRA, INDONESIA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY TORY READ | 2. MARSHALL ISLANDS, © ANDRE SEALE/MARINE PHOTOBANKWalmart, long a corporate
leader in sustainability,
has taken significant steps
forward in reducing its
environmental footprintin just the past few years,
going beyond climate
warming carbon to reduce
its supply chain impacts
on nature.

One of Conservation International’s main goals: Helppeople and nature thrive in the same place, together,by building self-sustaining, scalable development models
built on conservation.
In southern Mexico, we havedone just that. Working with national and local governments,
Conservation International helped
develop plans for the use andprotection of land in Chiapas andOaxaca that will result in morethan 25,000 hectares (64,000
acres) of land being placed under conservation. Meanwhile,
we worked to ensure access tomarkets for sustainably produced
agricultural goods with local retailers. Green Corner (an organic specialty grocery store basedin Mexico City) has committed
to purchase fish fillets, organic

cashews, organic cheese andmeat products from local smallscale producers. In a region longknown for its culture and cuisine,
we’re helping people see thatsustainability is critical to their
future.

acres of land placed under conservationin Chiapas and Oaxaca.

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALABROLHOS MARINE NATIONAL PARK, BRAZIL, © ENRICO MARCOVALDI

LISA ANDERSON
President, Moccasin Lake Foundation
Leadership Council Member

57

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

REEF MANTA RAY TAGGING, NEW CALEDONIA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY MARK ERDMANNPRIORITY 4

Conservation International and ourpartners are undertaking transformative
research to accelerate our conservation
efforts worldwide, from identifying
priority areas to building innovative
tools to protect them, all while unlocking
private financing that proves nature is asuperlative investment.

PERU, © BENJAMIN DRUMMOND

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL, © FLAVIO FORNER

In the past year, we made huge leaps in both,
unlocking ways that nature can contributeto the fight against climate change, while
identifying financing that can help generate
returns on investments in nature.

61

NEW SCIENCE
In 2020, we published groundbreaking,policy-relevant research. Here are someof the highlights.

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALDIGGING IN THE DIRTOur current food system fuels
deforestation as countries struggle to keep farming sustainableamid growing demand for food.
A study published in March foundthat the secret to meeting thisdemand lies in the soil — or more
specifically, in the carbon stored
in the soil. Protecting or restoring
the carbon in soils, the scientists
found, not only can boost agricultural productivity but can provide
3 billion tons of cost-effective climate mitigation per year.

1

CI VENTURES
Conservation requires livelihoods to besustainable. To that end, our investment fund,
CI Ventures, provides loans to small businesses
operating in places where Conservation
International works — including Africa.

1. HOMA BAY, KENYA, © COURTESY OF VICTORY FARMS | 2. KENYA, © KOMAZA62

WILDLIFE EXTINCTIONS
After a landmark UN report revealed that nearly 1 million species are facing extinction, agroundbreaking study led byConservation International offersa solution to save more than halfof these doomed species, whileslowing climate breakdown: Conserve just 30 percent of tropicallands. The study is the first to offer a comprehensive map of themost important natural areas toprotect to reduce extinction risk.

© VENTER ZS, HAWKINS H-J, CRAMER MD, MILLS AJ 2020

THE FARMING FRONTIER
Fields of corn in Siberia? Soy
plantations in the Yukon? It’s not
as far-fetched as it may seem:
A study led by Conservation International found that climatechange will make it possible in
the near future to grow certain
crops in places that were once
inhospitable to them. The environmental consequences, researchers wrote, “could be catastrophic,” calling for policymakers
to heed warnings against developing these areas.

In the past year, we invested
in Komaza, a smallholder agroforestry producer in Kenya thatpays farmers to raise trees on
their land for sustainable wood.
After our investment, Komaza
increased full-time staff by morethan 10 percent and increased
the number of farmers growing trees by over 13 percent, to
16,000 farmers.
We also invested in Victory
Farms, Africa’s fastest-growing
sustainable aquaculture operation, located on Lake Victoria,
Kenya. The company employs
350 full-time staff members —most from the communities surrounding the fish farms where job
opportunities are scarce. These
two landmark deals offered powerful evidence that investing insustainable development can
pay off for investors, for communities and for nature.

2

Komaza increased the number offarmers growing trees to

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

ESSEQUIBO RIVER, GUYANA, © PETE OXFORD/ILCP

AILEEN LEE
Chief Program Officer, Environmental Conservation
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Leadership Council Member

65FINANCE FORAMAZONIA
Conservation
International used thepower of finance tolaunch two major efforts
to conserve the largest
tropical forest on theplanet.
A $25 million partnership with the
French government will conserve
approximately 10 percent of Amazonia — nearly 73 million hectares(180 million acres) by 2025 — bysupporting Indigenous peoples
and local communities to accessinformation, tools and funding
to carry out their own initiatives
to conserve forests and support
livelihoods. The project stands tobenefit more than 68,000 people
in seven countries.

PARTNERING FOR IMPACT

66

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

In partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development, Conservation International
launched a new private-sector
investment platform for sustainable, pro-conservation businessin the Amazon that will advancegreen businesses and investments that promote the sustainable use of nature in Peru.

1

1. ALTO MAYO, PERU, © THOMAS MULLER | 2. ACRE, BRAZIL, © FLAVIO FORNER

ing forests in the geographies that
represent the greatest potential for
positive impacts toward our global
goals for climate, communities andbiodiversity. The coalition will employ science-based best practices
for the selection, implementation,and long-term monitoring of its restoration efforts.

P&G PROMISEConsumer goods giant P&G announced it would reduce thecompany’s greenhouse gas
emissions across its operations,in close collaboration with Conservation International and otherpartners, becoming climate-neutral for the decade by supporting
natural climate solutions. The
company aims to fund projects
that protect, improve and restore
critical ecosystems where irrecoverable carbon is stored, while
supporting local communities
and economic recovery.

CHYULU HILLS, KENYA, © CHARLIE SHOEMAKER

PROTECTING NATURE?
One of Conservation
PRICELESSInternational’s historic
The Priceless Planet Coalition,
strengths is our culture launched in January 2020, wasof partnerships, through designed to leverage the fullscale of Mastercard’s business, its
which we can maketechnology, its brand, and partner
an impact for natureecosystem all the way to the cardfar above what any
holders, to act on climate change
single organization can at an unprecedented scale. Mastercard chose Conservation Interachieve. Last year, wenational and the World Resources
worked with some of the Institute as restoration partners toworld’s most prominent help the Priceless Planet Coalition
achieve its initial goal of regrowcompanies to act withing 100 million trees.
urgency to protect
The Priceless Planet Coalition isnature. Here are two
not just about planting trees. The
highlights from 2020.
partners are dedicated to regrow-

A $25 million partnership with the
French government will conserve nearly

hectares of Amazonia by 2025.

2

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SICHUAN, CHINA, © KYLE OBERMANN

SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND, © ART WOLFE / WWW.ARTWOLFE.COM

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALKENYA, © M. SANJAYANCHONGQING, CHINA, © KYLE OBERMANN

71

PROTECTING THE HIGH SEAS
More than half the world’s oceans lie beyond the jurisdiction of any nation.
This vast expanse, known as the “high seas,” is home to species unknown
to science, many of them in deepwater coral reefs. These reefs are largely
unstudied and vulnerable to unsustainable fishing, deep-sea mining andmarine pollution.
As a founding member of theCoral Reefs of the High Seas Coalition, Conservation International is using its research to lead apush for protections for reefs in
the high seas, a major step forward in ocean conservation.

A LIFELINE FOR ACASUALTY OF COVID

But the global pandemic kept
tourists away in 2020 — alongwith the life-sustaining revenue
they provide to wildlife conservancies and Indigenous landowners dedicated to protecting
this land.
Now, these conservancies arereceiving a lifeline.
Conservation International, in
partnership with the Maasai Mara
Conservancies Association, established a loan program thatwill help cover lease payments
owed to Indigenous landowners
who typically lease their land to72

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

conservancies for tourism operations. The CI African Conservancies Fund aims to replace someof this lost income, which observers fear could impel Maasai
landowners to sell their lands orconvert them to farming, putting
local wildlife conservation — thevery source of their livelihoods —at risk. So far, two loans totaling$226,000 have been disbursed,
with more coming soon. With themarket showing interest in thisconcept, we aim to replicate theprogram across southern Africa.
With recent reports indicating asurge in poaching throughout
Kenya since the beginning of thepandemic, wildlife conservationin the region is more important
than ever. By supporting the conservancies, Conservation International is helping animals andpeople at the same time.

© CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

The animals are not the only
ones flooding the region during
this time: Typically, thousands of
tourists flock to the Maasai Mara
to catch a glimpse of this spectacle.

SERENGETI, TANZANIA, © LESLIE RUSSELL | © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA CROZIER

For a few months each year, millions ofwildebeest, zebra and other wildlife travel from
Tanzania to Kenya’s Maasai Mara region — aphenomenon known as “The Great Migration.”

The coalition is focusing its efforts on the high seas surrounding the Salas y Gómez and Nazcaridges, two seamount chains thatstretch across 2,900 square kilometers (1,200 square miles) in
the southeastern Pacific. Marine

ecosystems in this region havesome of the highest levels of endemism on Earth — meaning thatspecies found here are found nowhere else. Recent explorationsin this region have documented
the deepest light-dependent coral reefs on Earth, as well as numerous species new to science— yet this area remains unprotected.

tional and partners are seizing atime-sensitive opportunity to protect its unique natural and cultural resources before they are lost
forever.
And by building the scientificcase for high seas protections,
we are working to achieve theglobal target of protecting atleast 30 percent of the oceans.

Fishing and other commercial activities are still at low levels in thisregion, so Conservation Interna-

73

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

LIBERIA, © MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER BROWNWES BUSH
Former Chairman and CEO, Northrup Grumman Corporation
Conservation International Board Member

75

FIGHTING WILDLIFE
TRAFFICKING WITH DATAVALUING FORESTS TO
PROTECT THE CLIMATE

Wildlife trafficking is
A new tool being developed byConservation International andoften hidden in plain
partners could change that.
sight, with illegally
traded species falsely
Nature Intelligence System is an
artificial intelligence system that
listed as — or hidden
any organization involved in theamong — legal ones
movement of wildlife — governbeing shipped aroundment agencies, customs authorthe world. Most customs ities, the pet trade, the shipping
authorities, meanwhile, sector and more — can use tohelp differentiate between legal
are overmatched in the and illegal shipments. The platform
face of this massive and synthesizes data and documents
about exporters, species, market
relentless trade, withvalues and more to flag suspicious
millions of animals and shipments for inspectors.
animal parts moving
Conservation International isthrough ports aroundworking with a few select counthe world every day.

Tropical forests are ourgreatest natural ally inthe fight against climatechange, yet in many
places they are morevaluable dead thanalive.

1

Now, we’re heading from theskies back down to Earth: Building on the successes of forest-carbon projects in Peru and
Kenya — which have generated
millions of tons of carbon-emissions reductions along withcountless environmental andcommunity benefits — we arelooking to develop a carbon
project in Cambodia aimed at attracting investors for long-term financing. Through these projects,
we are demonstrating that these“natural climate solutions” areimmediate and effective tools tobend the climate curve.

76

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

2

CONSERVATION IS IN FASHION
When it comes to conservation, the fashionindustry is well-placed to make an impact.
The multibillion-dollar sector iscompletely dependent on goods
that nature provides. With a business model built on change,
it has an opportunity to be atrend-setter in conservation.

© FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONSIn the past year, Conservation International had success behindthe scenes, working with the civil
aviation industry to pave the way
for airlines to help neutralize theirclimate footprint through carbon
offsets.

1. PREY LANG, CAMBODIA, © JEREMY HOLDEN | 2. YAGUAS NATIONAL PARK, PERU, © DANIEL ROSENGREN

Conservation International is
working to flip the script by valuing the carbon that trees remove
from the atmosphere and store.
Through carbon projects, we
can help to protect the climate
by protecting forests — and thepeople who depend on them. As
one part of the solution to climate
breakdown, forest-carbon projects are helping humanity bend
the climate curve.

tries to pilot the system and expand it to some of the world’s
busiest ports.

Now, the industry is putting its
commitment to work. The Fashion Pact — a global, CEO-led coalition of 60+ signatories representing over 200 brands and one
third of the global fashion industry by volume — has pledged towork together to address climatechange, restore biodiversity andprotect oceans.
Conservation International is
the key technical partner for theFashion Pact's work on biodiversity. With initial support fromthe Global Environment Facility(GEF), Conservation International
will help develop and implement
effective science-based tools toenable the Fashion Pact signatories deliver on their commitments
to protect key species and restore critical natural ecosystems.

The Fashion Pact represents

brands in the fashionand textile industry.

77

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BODOGOL, INDONESIA, © JESSICA SCRANTONNEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, © WULFSTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCKCONSERVATION INTERNATIONALMAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE, KENYA, © JONATHAN IRISH

PERU, © TROND LARSEN

81

Conservation International’s supporters and partners know that weneed nature. Their tremendous generosity is helping Conservation
International protect the planet for the future.

3%

3%

2%

5%

REVENUEIn fiscal year 2020, Conservation
International raised a total of
US$ 163 million in revenue fromdeeply committed supporters
around the globe.

5%

US$

46%

7%

7%

6%
8%

8%

EXPENSES

35%

US$

21%

22%

REVENUE

22%

EXPENSES
Conservation International
closed fiscal year 2020
with expenses totaling
US$ 154 million.

82

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

83

Thanks to this support, Conservation International achieved
most of our ambitious goals for
FY20 despite uncertainty causedby the COVID-19 pandemic. We
closed the year with revenues
exceeding FY19 levels by 8% anda robust level of expenditures despite significant constraints fromthe crisis. Throughout the past
year, Conservation International’s board, leadership and staff
have taken every precaution forthe safety of our people and thecommunities in which we work.

1

REVENUE
Conservation International closed
FY20 reporting total revenues of$162.6 million, $11.4 million over
FY19 levels. We were extremely fortunate that our donors andsupporters maintained and, insome cases, increased their giving. The pandemic necessitatedthe cancellation of two fundraising events that we rely upon to
generate a significant portion of
our general support. Fortunately,
our Foundation, Corporate andPublic funding donors provided
vital support for critical programs.

EXPENSES
Conservation International entered FY20 in strong financial position with significant funding already committed. More than ever,in this difficult economic environment, we must carefully manage
every dollar we spend. Although
COVID restrictions affected ourability to conduct field visits, convene workshops, and organize
in-person training and policy
events for much of the year, ourteams adapted. In addition, Conservation International provided
emergency relief to communities
and Indigenous groups. This assistance included supplies as wellas training on methods to safely to support Ecuador’s marine and developed $400 million in newcontinue their conservation work. coastal protected areas.
financing mechanisms to support
forest protection and restoration.
We are gratified that we were While our Field Programs andnonetheless able to close the year Grantmaking divisions are respon- Given the economic uncertainty
with a similarly robust level of pro- sible for the majority of Conserva- prevalent during the year, Congrammatic delivery as in FY19. Ex- tion International’s programmatic servation International’s leaderpenditures totaled $153.5 million expenditures, all of our programs ship took aggressive steps toin FY20 compared with $152.8 work in synergy to deliver results. manage costs while ensuring efmillion in FY19. Programmatic de- Examples of our FY20 achieve- fective management and operalivery increased by $3.5 million ments include the launch of the tional support of our work aroundfrom $127.2 million to $130.7 mil- Blue Nature Alliance, a consortium the world. Much of these savings
lion while supporting services de- led by Conservation International, are reflected in the $2.7 million
creased by $2.7 million, reducing The Pew Charitable Trusts, The reduction in supporting services
our overhead rate from 16.7% in Minderoo Foundation, the Rob & costs, notably savings related to
FY19 to 14.9% in FY20.
Melani Walton Foundation, and travel and events.
the Global Environment Facility,
Conservation International’s Field which have together raised $150 NET ASSETS
Programs Division, comprising 28 million to deliver ocean conserva- Total net assets increased bycountry programs in the Americas, tion at scale. Conservation Inter- almost $7 million in FY20, fromAfrica and the Asia-Pacific regions, national also worked to develop $315.3 million to $322.1 million.
accounted for almost half of total similar efforts to support forest The modest increase is the reexpenditures in FY20. Through conservation driven by devastat- sult of securing multi-year contriour Grantmaking and other divi- ing ﬁres that have plagued Am- butions in FY20 that will provide
sions, Conservation International azonia, Indonesia and parts of support in current and future
provided $35.6 million in support Africa. Conservation International years. Thanks to the steadfast
to 647 partners in FY20, with is pioneering innovative solutions support of our donors, Consergrants ranging from a few hundred to climate change by structuring vation International begins FY21
dollars to support a community long-term investment vehicles on sound financial footing and is
project in Madagascar to a $5 mil- that will support these efforts. In well-positioned to meet our ambilion grant to create an endowment FY20, Conservation International tious goals in the years to come.

1. MALAYSIA, © COMSTOCK IMAGES | 2. SAN MIGUEL AJUSCO, MEXICO, © JESSICA SCRANTONThe Board of Directors and staff of Conservation International wish toextend our profound thanks to our donors and partners who continued
their support of our critical work during this very challenging year.

84

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL© PHOTOCECH

2

85

2020

2019

WITHOUT DONORRESTRICTIONSWITH DONORRESTRICTIONS

TOTAL

TOTAL

SUPPORT AND REVENUE
Grants + Contributions
Foundations$7,034$49,539$56,573$44,201

Public Funding82

36,59036,67232,586

Corporations

2,310

33,99936,30910,907

Individuals

4,048

8,377

12,42534,639
2,793

Other

60

1,256

1,316

Cancellations and de-obligations—(4,250)(4,250)—Contract Revenue

9,991

—

9,991

9,067

Other Revenue

502

3,709

4,211

2,874

Investment Income, Net

162

9,190

9,352

14,160Net Assets Released
from Donor Restrictions

129,763(129,763)——

TOTAL SUPPORT AND REVENUE

153,952

8,647

162,599

151,227

Field Programs

70,270—70,27069,791

Grantmaking Divisions

31,985—31,98529,456

Moore Center for Science

7,808

—

7,808

8,548

Policy and Strategy

7,689

—

7,689

6,185

Center for Environmental
Leadership in Business

5,140

—

5,140

4,254

Communications

4,521

—

4,521

5,498

The Center for Communities
and Conservation

3,303

—

3,303

3,489

Total Program Services

130,716—

130,716

127,221

Management + Operations

10,816—

10,816

11,509Fundraising

12,005—12,005

14,034

EXPENSES

Supporting Services:

22,821—

22,821

25,543

153,537—

153,537

152,764

415

8,647

9,062

(1,537)

Loss on Translation of Affiliate
and Field Office Net Assets—(2,203)(2,203)(288)

Loss on Translation of Grants andPledges Receivable

—

(2)

(2)

(42)

415

6,442

6,857

(1,867)

Total Supporting Services
TOTAL EXPENSES
Changes in Net Assets Before
Other Income and Losses
Other Income and Losses

CHANGES IN NET ASSETSNet Assets

86

Beginning

17,724

297,545

315,269

317,136

Ending$18,139$303,987$322,126$315,269

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALCHYULU HILLS, KENYA, © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/PHOTO BY NATASHA CALDERWOOD

Program Services:87

ASIA PACIFIC BOARD OF
DIRECTORSYit Fan Wong (Chair)
Singapore
Kevin Hardy
Singapore
Leo Tan Wee Hin
Singapore
Richard Jeo
Singapore
AMERICAS COUNCIL
Francisco Costa (Chairperson)
New York, USA

Lam Keong Yeoh
Singapore

Steve Anderson
Ohio, USA

AUSTRALIA BOARD OF
DIRECTORS*
Richard Jeo (Chair)
Singapore

Stefano ArnholdSão Paulo, Brazil
Vivi Barguil de Sarmiento
Bogotá, Colombia
Gonzalo Córdoba
Bogotá, Colombia
Ana Rita García-Lascurain
Mexico City, Mexico
Mark K. Gormley
New York, USA
Ralph H. Isham
New York, USA
José KoechlinLima, Peru
Joel Korn
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Jorge Londoño,
Bogotá, Colombia
Jorge López-Dóriga
Lima, Peru
Pablo Gabriel Obregón
Bogotá, Colombia
Jessica Sneider
California, USA
Leon Teicher
Bogotá, Colombia

Philippa Walsh (Secretary)
Katoomba, NSW, Australia

Carlos Klink
Federal District, Brazil
Jairo Loureiro
São Paulo, Brazil
Helio Mattar
São Paulo, Brazil
Carlos NobreSão Paulo, Brazil
Joyce Pascowitch
São Paulo, BrazilMaitê Proença
São Paulo, Brazil
Honorary Members
Eliezer Batista (in memoriam)
Joel Korn
Erling Lorentzen

Robert Baigrie
Singapore

BRAZIL BOARD OF
DIRECTORS*
Iuri Rapoport (President)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Kristofer Helgen
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Francisco Barbosa
Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Angus Holden
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Sergio Besserman
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Kim Lawrence
Brisbane, QLD, Australia

José Galizia Tundisi
São Carlos, Brazil

Roewen Wishart
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Irene Garay
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

BRAZIL ADVISORY COUNCIL
Stefano Arnhold (President)São Paulo, Brazil
Andréa Aguiar Azevedo
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Marcelo Britto
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Lilian EstevesSão Paulo, Brazil
Gilberto Gil
Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Luis Justo
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Thomas E. Lovejoy
Fairfax, VA, U.S.
Edward Moura
Curitiba, Brazil
Philip O’Connor
Missoula, MT, U.S.
Daniela Raik
Arlington, VA, U.S.

SINGAPORE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS*
Lam Keong Yeoh (Chair)
Singapore
Byron Askin
Singapore
Robert Baigrie
Singapore
Chen Chen Lee
Singapore
Wei Wei Lim
Singapore
Kathlyn Tan
Singapore
CONSERVATION SOUTH
AFRICA BOARD OF
DIRECTORS*
Simon Susman (Chair)
Cape Town, South Africa

UK BOARD*
Nick Kukrika
U.K.
Simon Lyster
U.K.
Mike Rands
U.K.
M. Sanjayan, Ph.D.
Arlington, VA, U.S.
Nick Southgate
U.K.

ARNHOLD DISTINGUISHEDFELLOWS
Mark Carney
United Kingdom
HE Ian Khama
Botswana
Dr. Johan Rockström
Germany
HE Juan Manuel Santos
Colombia

Lee Gillespie-White
Arlington, VA, U.S.

LUI-WALTON SENIORFELLOWS
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim
Chad

Owen Henderson
Greyton, South Africa

Dr. Günther Bachmann
Germany

Dr. Reuel Khoza
Johannesburg, South Africa

John Scanlon
Switzerland

Julia Levin
Johannesburg, South Africa

As of March 2021

Dr. Peliwe Lowana
Johannesburg, South Africa
Michael O’Brien-Onyeka
Nairobi, Kenya
Loyiso Pityana-Ndlovu
Johannesburg, South Africa
M. Sanjayan, Ph.D.
Arlington, VA, U.S.

M. Sanjayan, Ph.D.
Arlington, VA, U.S.
Robert Shevlin
Trancoso, Brazil
Sebastian Troëng
Bogotá, Colombia* denotes fiduciary responsibilities

88

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

89

020
al
The 2 ternation
In
n
o
ti
a
v
r
e
Cons

ERS
D
N
FOU ARDAWMELANI AND ROB WALTONThe Conservation International Founders Award is presented on occasion to remarkable
leaders whose long-term dedication to conservation and wisdom have had an outsized,
positive influence on Conservation International’s ability to change our world.

Melani and Rob’s generosity
in spirit, care and support has
touched the lives of millions ofpeople across the globe.
They helped to create the first
women's community patrol teamin Indonesia’s Fam Archipelago,empowering Papuan women
to combat illegal fishing activity
and play a greater role in theircommunity. Across the country in
Sumatra, they helped to pioneer
a new development model thatunites local governments and private sector partners to improve
community livelihoods while protecting millions of hectares of irreplaceable tropical forests.
In the Eastern Pacific, with theirpartnership, a 2 million square
kilometer marine protected areathat spans the coasts of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador andPanama has been established,setting the standard for marine
protected area management.

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

Melani and Rob have been similarly influential in shaping Conservation International’s strategic direction. Their engagement
helped capitalize a unique
Spend Down Fund that provides
15 years of support for capacity
to grow and meet emerging challenges — ensuring our transition
from a founder-led organizationand helping us to reimagine ourrole in leading a new global conservation movement.
Key to their philosophy is making
certain the conservation ideas oftoday and tomorrow take root.
Through their Lui-Walton Fellowship, our organization has
worked with 37 emerging andrecognized leaders from aroundthe world, including three former presidents, who bring theirexpertise and networks to bearon our planet’s most pressing
problems. By creating the Rob
and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service at ArizonaState Univer­sity in 2012, sevenprograms are now bringing real-world solutions to more than
70 million people across fivecontinents. One of the sevenprograms within the Service
engages K-12 science teachers

in all 50 states. Another works
directly with 191 science museums in 32 countries. Meanwhile,
Melani and Rob’s guidance indeveloping the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library honors
a great conservation president
and makes his life’s work accessible to all.
With an approach that embodies
our “head in the sky, feet in themud” ethos — whether translocating 500 elephants in Malawi
with African Parks, helping transform a vacant lot in the middle of
Phoenix into the Rob and Melani
Walton Urban Farm at St. Vincent
de Paul where 30,000 pounds
of food are grown each year,
giving care to more than 9,000
animals annually at the Rob andMelani Walton Campus of Liberty
Wildlife, or reaching out directly
to our team and partners duringa record 20-month tour visiting
22 countries where we work —Melani and Rob together show
what’s possible when imagination, opportunity, compassion
and partnership flourish.
Our entire team remains grateful for their astonishing legacyof accomplishment.

M . S A N J AYA N

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

PHOTOS: © ROB AND MELANI WALTON FOUNDATIONThis year, it gives us great pleasure to honor Melani and Rob
Walton, both of whom havedevoted much of their lives toprotecting nature in service tohumanity.

91

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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALSICHUAN, CHINA, © KYLE OBERMANN

ANDREW AND LESLIE NICHOLLSEmerald Circle and Future of Life Society Members

93

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
M. Sanjayan, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Daniela Raik, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President,
Field Programs
Sebastian Troëng, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President,
Conservation Partnerships
Jack Hurd
Executive Vice President,
Global Programs
BRAND & COMMUNICATIONSAnastasia Khoo
Senior Advisor to the CEO and
Chief Marketing Officer
THE BETTY AND GORDONMOORE CENTER FOR SCIENCE
Johan Rockström, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist
Mike Mascia, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President
CENTER FOR COMMUNITIESAND CONSERVATION
Kristen Walker Painemilla
Senior Vice President &Managing Director

94

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALCENTER FOR NATURAL
CLIMATE SOLUTIONSWill Turner, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Natural
Climate Solutions
CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE
LANDS & WATERS
Bambi Semroc
Acting Head, Senior Vice
President
CI PEOPLE OPERATIONSKim Keating
Chief People Officer
CONSERVATION FINANCEDIVISION
Agustin Silvani
Senior Vice President
CRITICAL ECOSYSTEMPARTNERSHIP FUND
Olivier LangrandSenior Vice President &Executive Director
DEVELOPMENT
Cynthia Tapley
Chief Development Officer
Cynthia McKee
Senior Vice President,
Development

FIELD PROGRAMS
Kelvin Alie
Senior Vice President,
Field Partnerships

AFRICA FIELD DIVISION
Michael O’Brien-Onyeka
Senior Vice President
Julia Levin
Country Director, South Africa

FINANCE, GRANTS &CONTRACTS
Barbara DiPietro
Chief Financial Officer

Ruud Jansen
Country Director, BotswanaPeter MulbahCountry Director, Liberia

GENERAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE
Rick Nash
General Counsel and Chief
Compliance Officer
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTFACILITY & GREEN CLIMATEFUND AGENCIES
Miguel Morales, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President
GLOBAL INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY
Brian Freed
Vice President
GLOBAL POLICY &GOVERNMENT AFFAIRSJames RothSenior Vice President
GLOBAL PUBLIC
PARTNERSHIPS & CI EUROPE
Herbert Lust
Senior Vice President &Managing Director, CI Europe

Sahondra Rajoelina
Country Director, Madagascar

Tatiana Ramos
Executive Director, Mexico
Luis Suárez
Vice President, Ecuador
ASIA-PACIFIC FIELD DIVISION
Richard Jeo, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President

Emily Pidgeon, Ph.D.
Vice President of Ocean Science
Matt Ramsey
Director, HawaiiMark Erdmann, Ph.D.
Vice President, Marine
Yasushi Hibi
Vice President & Managing
Director, JapanAMERICAS FIELD DIVISION
Rachel Biderman, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President

Meizani Irmadhiany
Deputy Senior Vice President

Fabio Arjona
Vice President, Colombia

Mere Lakeba
Country Director, Fiji

Mauricio Bianco
Vice President, Brazil

Xiaohai Liu
Executive Director, China

Luis Espinel
Vice President, Peru

Manuel Mendes
Country Director, Timor-Leste

Damian Fernandez
Executive Director, Guyana

Enrique Nuñez
Executive Director, Philippines

Eduardo Forno
Executive Director, Bolivia

Ketut Putra
Vice President, Indonesia

John GoedschalkExecutive Director, Suriname

Srabani Roy
Regional Director,
Greater Mekong

Ana Gloria Guzman
Executive Director, Costa Rica

CENTER FOR OCEANS‘Aulani Wilhelm
Senior Vice President

François Tron
Country Director, New Caledonia

95

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This report, including typography, was developed internally byConservation International’s design and editorial teams, and with thesupport of the organization’s subject-matter experts and leadership.

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DESIGN TEAM:
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Design Director

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Senior Communications Director

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Senior Graphic Designer

Vanessa Bauza
Editorial Director

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Design Associate

Kiley Price
Staff Writer/News Editor

Conservation International is dedicated to regenerative practices
across our operations and our field programs; this report is no
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CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALCOVER: © CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA CROZIER