From all of us here at CSF, we want to say thank you! As we look back on what has been an incredibly difficult year, we know one thing is certain: without your support, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish so much. Your support powered our work and helped us to continue our important conservation efforts around the world. To celebrate all CSF achieved this year, we want to share some of our major highlights from 2020:

1. Landmark Analysis on Amazon Roads Finds That the Cost of New Roads Outweighs the Benefits
CSF and its partners — Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) and the Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development (FCSD) — completed a study analyzing the economic, environmental, and social impact of 75 planned road projects in the Amazon. Published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), our study found that roughly half of the planned road projects would cost more to build and maintain than the benefits they would generate. To learn more, please enjoy this brief video of our findings here. 

2. Our Flagship Annual International Course Goes Online
In response to COVID-19, we transitioned our annual international course, Economics and Finance for Environmental Leadership, into a virtual and online format across 18 different time zones. With 57 participants from 29 countries, our 2020 course represented our largest cohort yet. As a result, we were able to extend the reach of our annual flagship training — and equip even more people, in more places with the knowledge of how economics can impact conservation efforts worldwide.
 
3. Mexican Government Adopts Our Recommendations in Three Cities 
In partnership with GIZ, we provided technical support on how to integrate ecosystem service values into urban planning for the government agencies of three Mexican cities: León, Mérida, and Morelia. Using our recommendations, the municipalities are working to implement our findings through the establishment of fees for water use and the introduction of forest compensation finance mechanisms. You can read the policy briefs in Spanish for León, Mérida, and Morelia here. 

4. Piensa Verde Makes a Splash Bolivia 
After launching Bolivia's first environmental financing platform, Piensa Verde has seen a groundswell of momentum for conservation across Bolivia. Our video on deforestation in Bolivia surpassed 24,000 views in a matter of weeks and was widely shared by local news outlets, who even invited CSF Staff to speak. In addition, Piensa Verde hosted a successful webinar series that featured panelists from diverse sectors, connected over 25 different institutions, and accumulated more than 100,000 views to date.
 
5. CSF Celebrates Five Years on the Ground in Indonesia 
Through its capacity-building workshops, intensive fellowships, and hands-on peer-mentoring and training, our Indonesia office has already helped influence stakeholders and policy in marine conservation, fisheries management, and sustainable landscape programs. To learn more about CSF Indonesia’s incredible impact, please read CSF Indonesia’s Highlights Report here.
 
Thank you for your support of our work! We simply couldn't do it without you. If a donation fits into your giving plans this season, please consider a gift to Conservation Strategy Fund today. To stay up to date on all of CSF’s current and upcoming projects, please subscribe to our newsletter here.