Ecosystem markets can provide a powerful tool in the effort to mitigate and adapt to climate change, but markets of any kind require widespread awareness and understanding among all stakeholders – be they subsistence farmers, environmental non-profit organisations or corporate buyers.

However, very few organisation currently provide free Spanish language market data, information and analysis to help shape the markets and make them structurally stable, socially equitable and inclusive, and ecologically effective.

This project fostered the creation of a global network of journalists and media organisations in the developing world that are capable of reporting on climate-change adaptation and other aspects of environmental finance for both a general and specialised audience. The focus was on connecting existing knowledge broker initiatives so content can be shared more effectively both within the climate-change community and with the world at large. Working with partners in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, the project created sister sites of Ecosystem Marketplace, the news service launched by Forest Trends in 2005 to cover payments for ecosystem services.

This was a scalable endeavour, mainly using freelance reporters, and began in cooperation with three Latin American partners, harvesting lessons learned in previous endeavours and leveraging existing infrastructure and capacity. In addition to facilitating informed decision-making, the project also aimed to catalyse new thinking.

 Project partners: Luis Eduardo Cisneros (Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental; SPDA Actualidad Ambiental); Roberto León Gómez Charry (Fundación Natura); Marta Echavarria (La Red de Interesados en Servicios Ambientales, REDISAS)

CDKN funding: £75,000

Regions/countries: Latin America

Type: Research project, CDKN Knowledge Brokers Fund

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