Ecobiz.asia – WWF-Singapore has launched Canopy, a regional nature finance facility supported by the ASEAN–UK Green Transition Fund (GTF), to accelerate investment in high-quality ecosystem restoration across Southeast Asia.
The initiative aims to expand access to finance, strengthen high-integrity restoration project pipelines, and build local capacity, with a long-term target of supporting up to 12,000 hectares of restoration across the region.
The launch took place at the ASEAN–UK Green Transition Fund Nature-based Solutions portfolio event in Jakarta on Tuesday (Feb. 3, 2026) and was officiated by UK Ambassador to ASEAN Helen Fazey and ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Satvinder Singh.
Canopy adopts a blended finance approach, combining philanthropic and return-seeking capital to support early-stage restoration projects and help them reach investment readiness while strengthening environmental and social safeguards.
“Across Southeast Asia, the opportunity for nature restoration is significant, but outcomes depend on projects being designed and supported effectively from the outset,” said Matteo Marinelli, Asia Pacific Lead for Sustainable Finance at WWF.
He said blended finance, when applied carefully, could help direct resources to critical areas such as community engagement, robust safeguards, and credible monitoring systems, ensuring long-term benefits for both people and nature.
WWF-Singapore said coastal ecosystems, including mangroves, would be among the key priorities under the Canopy programme, given their role in supporting livelihoods, food security, and coastal protection, as well as their capacity to store carbon.
In addition to financing, Canopy will provide capacity-building support to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in ASEAN countries, including carbon project developers, to help them meet international standards for measurement, reporting and verification.
The programme is expected to support an initial restoration pipeline of up to 3,000 hectares, expanding to 12,000 hectares over time, and to generate approximately one million tonnes of high-quality carbon credits aligned with international frameworks such as CORSIA, ICVCM and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
WWF-Singapore said it is working with partners including Climate Bridge International, Terraformation Inc., Tri-Sector Associates, and the Southeast Asia Climate and Nature-based Solutions Coalition to strengthen regional delivery capacity and ensure the long-term sustainability of restoration projects. ***
