The MEbA Biodiversity Platform:

Agriculture Lending including Climate and Biodiversity Impacts

PARTICIPATE IN THE PROJECT

Supported by:

The MEbA Biodiversity Platform is an online tool that offers Financial Service Providers:

enhanced digital analysis

the integration of climate and biodiversity risks into credit decisions

the basis to qualify for green credit lines

Biodiversity is a key component for agriculture finance.

But it is at threatened globally and lacks representation in credit decisions in general which results in its further decline. To counteract this issue, emphasize the importance of biodiversity and foster its inclusion in investment decisions, the MEbA Biodiversity Platform was formed. The goal of the platform is to offer Financial Service Providers proven methodologies for agricultural credit assessment using state of the art digital tools, while raising awareness on the importance of including biodiversity considerations and managing climate risks in agricultural lending.

A unique offer for Financial Service Providers

With the financial support and in partnership with BNP Paribas, the MEbA-project is offering Financial Service Providers in Latin America and West Africa the opportunity to access enhanced digital credit analysis, including dedicated biodiversity and climate risk indicators for free. By measuring biodiversity and climate risks in their credit decisions, Financial Service Providers lay the basis to qualify for new funding sources, like green credit lines.

The FREE automated analysis contains

Detailed cashflows for agriculture activities

The report created by the MEbA Biodiversity Platform entails detailed cashflows for the agricultural activities of a given smallholder, showing cost and revenue over the course of time.

Climate sensitivity indicator

The Climate Sensitivity Indicator is built on a database by FAO. It identifies the relative sensitivity of crops to changes of temperature and rain patterns. A high sensitivity of a given crop indicates a high risk of vulnerability regarding climatic events.

Adaptive capacity indicator

The Adaptive Capacity Indicator is based on a methodology developed by UN Environment Programme. It assesses the practices and technologies implemented by smallholders and thereby measures the capacity to adapt to climate change. The higher the adaptive capacity is the lower is the risk of vulnerability regarding climatic events.

Biodiversity indicator

The Biodiversity Indicator has been developed especifically for the MEbA Biodiversity Platform. It assesses whether practices and technologies implemented by smallholders carry the risk to contribute to the loss of biodiversity or, more favorably, are likely to contribute to biodiversity conservation and regeneration.

Green microcredit verification indicator

The Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Verification Indicator is based on a methodology developed by UN Environment Programme. It assesses if and to what degree the activities financed for a smallholder correspond to a green microloan. The characteristic of a green microcredit in this project is the reduction of climatic risk and/or the support of biodiversity conservation.

based on proven MEbA Methodology

Participating Institutions will receive free access and training for the MEbA Biodiversity platform provided by YAPU Solutions with the support of BNP Paribas, UN Environment and Germany's BMU. By using the MEbA Biodiversity platform, Financial Service providers will get access to proven methodology for the analysis of agricultural credits, based on state-of-the-art technology. The structured credit analysis provided by the platform will comprise climate and biodiversity indicators developed based on the experience of the MEbA project. With this enhanced analysis, participating institutions will be able to process digitally and efficiently reports for credit decisions and include environmental and climatic considerations therein. This will highlight the impacts of credit decisions on biodiversity and enable participating institutions to engage in triple-bottom line reporting: financial, social and environmental – and can thereby qualify for impact investments.

The platform

The Platform generates Reports

Metrics produced by the BIOdiversity platform

The Biodiversity platform is an online tool which can be accessed by any computer via a web-browser or by android run tablet via a free app. It offers the possibility to enter a client declaration in a questionnaire and produce an automated report in an instant to add to FSP standard credit commitee report and enhance assesment. Calculations are done by the platform, which includes the full experience of the MEbA project in its analysis plus a new developed Biodiversity Indicator. The resulting report can easily by downloaded.

The integrated climate data and the biodiversity indicator will help institutions to embark in green inclusive finance, a field the initiative strongly supports. To support the further development of green inclusive finance, the MEbA Initiative is offering these advanced analysis possibilities to all interested Financial Service Providers in Latin America and Sub Saharan Africa for free until 15 February 2021.*

* Latin America: Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Hunduras, El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica
Sub Saharan Africa: Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso, Rwanda

After 15 February 2021 a reasonable fee per analysis will be charged. There are no binding contractual obligations for the use of the platform involved at any time. All actvities and material will be provided in two languages: Spanish and French; the platform will be available in three languages: Spanish, French and Portuguese.

The Financial Service Providers with best environmental performance will be granted continuous free access to the Platform.

Presentation Launch Event

Please find here the presentation and videos of the Kick-off events:

Kick-Off Presentation, October 22, 2020 in Spanish

Kick-Off Presentation, October 27, 2020 in French

Please contact
biodiversity.platform@yapu.solutions
for details on project participation.

We will conduct an extra information event for institutions who could not join the kick-off events. Please register below to participate in the project.

The event will take place
on November 16, 2020 at 4:00 pm CET (in Spanish)
on November 17, 2020 at 3:00 pm CET (in French)