WE HELP YOU BUILD
NATURAL STRATEGIES
We are international consultants accelerating sustainable finance for ecosystem & biodiversity conservation all over the world. We find solutions to help countries, communities & companies preserve nature & wildlife, mitigate climate change & contribute to sustainable development.
Our Services
For Non-Profit
Fund your conservation projects.
We build funding proposals &
mobilize finance to help you reach your sustainable conservation goals.
For Companies
Be a leader in a sustainable world.
We guide your business to measure & to reduce your footprint, offset your emissions, and communicate the benefits of your climate actions.
For Investors
Maximize your impact.
We identify and structure
green investment opportunities to help you combine profitability with sustainability.
PROJECTS
 Kick-Starting the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem RestorationNatural Strategies develops the UNEP & FAO full-scale funding proposal for the project ‘Leading the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030’. |  Financing Nature-based Solutions in the MediterraneanNatural Strategies identifies capitalization options for Nature-based Solutions in Spain, Greece, Tunisia and Morocco for the MAVA Foundation. |  MOBILIZING FINANCE FOR BIODIVERSITYIn support of BirdLife International, Natural Strategies develops a country-wide sustainable finance plan for protected areas and biodiversity in São Tomé & Príncipe. |  DEVELOPING PROTECTED AREAS INVESTMENT PLANNatural Strategies develops a country-wide finance and investment plan for protected areas in Papua New Guinea. In support of UNDP, we identify sources of conventional and innovative finance to generate revenues for the sustainable management of the country's biodiversity. |
|---|---|---|---|
 ACCELERATING PRIVATE IMPACT INVESTMENTSNatural Strategies supports a leading private sector impact investor in identifying and assessing the sustainability of potential investments globally, to maximize environmental and social impacts. |  UNLOCKING FINANCE FOR AGRO-FORESTRYUNEP will set up a Seed Capital Assistance Facility to unlock private investments for forest and landscape restoration. Natural Strategies develops UNEP's funding proposal to BMU IKI. |  EVALUATING INVESTMENT READINESSNatural Strategies supports Conservation International in phase I of its Forest Finance and Investment Incubator (FFII). The FFII aims to increase investments into forest and land-use projects that contribute to national climate goals in ten countries globally. |  ANALYZING BENEFIT SHARING MECHANISMSNatural Strategies conducts a comparative analysis on benefit sharing under REDD+ globally. In support of the WWF Climate and Forests team, we assess lessons learned and best practices on the design, implementation and scale up of REDD+ benefit sharing. |
 CONSERVING THE CONGO BASINIn support of the WWF Landscape Finance Lab, Natural Strategies mobilizes sustainable investments to conserve Central Africa’s rainforests. |  STRENGTHENING CLIMATE CHANGE ENGAGEMENT IN DRCNatural Strategies supports GIZ in the Democratic Republic of Congo to mainstream climate change into their development portfolio. Through this, we seek to strengthen GIZ's strategic approach to climate change in DRC while identifying concrete climate finance opportunities. |  BUILDING PPPs FOR FORESTSNatural Strategies supports the EU REDD Facility on a public-private partnership strategy to reduce deforestation. The partnerships seek to enable investments in sustainable commodity production in developing countries. |  PROTECTING THE WORLD'S TOP WETLANDSIn support of the WWF Landscape Finance Lab, Natural Strategies mobilizes finance for landscapes programmes in Paraguay and Zambia, to preserve some of the world's critical wetlands. |
 ENABLING GREEN FINANCEThe Paris Agreement calls for action to green the financial system. Natural Strategies, in collaboration with the Frankfurt School - UNEP Collaborating Centre, analyzes the enabling environment for green finance in Spain to contribute to the <2-degree target of the Paris Agreement. |  MOBILIZING GCF FUNDS FOR GALAPAGOSThis project, implemented by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) will identify measures to support the Galápagos Islands' adaptation to climate change. Natural Strategies helps turn these measures into two concept notes for the Green Climate Fund. |  SUPPORTING THE REDD+ FUND IN DRCNatural Strategies supports the USD 200 million National REDD+ Fund of DRC (FONAREDD). We assess and strengthen REDD+ project proposals on a sectoral and landscape level that seek to reduce deforestation in DRC. The objective is to help FONAREDD make informed decisions on which proposals to fund - thereby advancing on its pathway towards conserving forests and biodiversity while supporting local livelihoods. |  Helping access the GCF in 18 countriesNatural Strategies' Director Alexander Koch helps 18 countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa access the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The objective is to enable countries to mobilize GCF funding for high impact projects in the forest, energy and agriculture sectors. |
 BUILDING A FUND FOR BIODIVERSITYNatural Strategies’ Director Alexander Koch co-leads the establishment of a new international investment fund, Natural Capital, which aims to mobilize private sector finance for sustainable land use in developing countries. |  HELPING JORDAN MOBILIZE GCF FUNDSNatural Strategies helps Jordan access GCF funding. In providing technical support to UN Environment’s GCF Readiness Programme in Jordan, Natural Strategies develops key elements of the national GCF architecture. |  SUPPORTING PRIMATES CONSERVATIONNatural Strategies leads the UK fundraising strategy and campaign for the NGO Fundación Mona. Fundación Mona is a Spanish NGO dedicated to the welfare and conservation of chimpanzees and other primates. It rescues abused primates, raises awareness of wildlife trafficking and other threats to primates and contributes to related research. |  ANALYZING DEFORESTATION IN GUYANAIn a team of international consultants, Natural Strategies' Director Alexander Koch co-developed the draft strategic framework for the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of Guyana. Alexander led the section on the forest sector. |
 ASSESSING GCS PROJECTSThe Global Conservation Standard (GCS) seeks to make environmental conservation pay for landowners and local populations worldwide, based on measurable ecosystem benefits. Natural Strategies’ Director Alexander Koch served as an alternate member of the technical panel of the GCS. |
NATURAL STRATEGIES CURRENTLY WORKS IN THESE COUNTRIES
3 cups
Blueberries
3 cups
Flour
Ghana
India
Azerbaijan
1½ cups
Butter
Haiti
Kazakhstan
Lao PDR
Timor Leste
Nepal
Spain
Ecuador
Uruguay
Cuba
Burundi
Dominica
Nigeria
Central African Republic
Guyana
Jordan
Gabon
Cameroon
Paraguay
Zambia
France
Papua New Guinea
Colombia
UK
Brazil
Indonesia
France
South Africa
France
Germany
Portugal
Morocco
Sao Tome and Principe
Kenya
Tunesia
Greece
OUR CLIENTS
OUR MISSION
We are guided by our conviction that we need to drastically & rapidly reduce the degradation of ecosystems & biodiversity and mitigate climate change.
And we believe that this can only happen if we take into account the needs & priorities of governments, communities & the private sector. So we aim to find solutions where environmental conservation simultaneously leads to improved human well-being & economic opportunities.
We achieve this by analyzing environmental problems, identifying solutions & helping put these into practice.
This includes providing support to the public & private sectors at various stages of planning & implementation:
We develop ecosystem & climate policies for governments & private sector
We turn policies into investment strategies & funding proposals
We mobilize sustainable finance to help companies in greening their supply chains
We provide investment advice & technical assistance during implementation
We help monitor, report on & evaluate corresponding impacts & results
This way, we engage agents of land use change & conservation, work with them to systematically address the drivers of environmental degradation & contribute to green economic alternatives.
This creates viable pathways for sustainable development that benefit from intact ecosystems.
Alexander Koch
Founder & Managing Director
Alexander is the Founder & Director of Natural Strategies. He has supported ecosystem conservation & sustainable land use in more than 49 countries in Africa, Latin America & Asia with the UN & the private sector.
Working with the Finance Unit of UN Environment for nine years, including as its REDD+ focal point person, he designed the largest global programme for UN Environment to help developing countries prepare to access the Green Climate Fund.
He also co-managed a pilot programme in seven African countries to launch forest & agroforestry projects through the carbon markets, including one of the first registered African REDD+ projects, and provided a broad range of technical assistance on
climate change & biodiversity, in support of governments, private sector & NGOs.
Alexander holds a University Master's Degree in Environmental Management & Restoration, a German University Law Degree & a University Diploma in Wildlife & Natural Areas Management.
Destin Whitehurst
Director
Destin manages large-scale, transformational engagements for both private and public sector clients, collaborating with stakeholders to deliver results from project strategy through implementation.
Having spent over a decade working with Fortune 500 corporate clients, Destin brings deep experience in strategic analysis, financial / data modeling, project management, and cross-functional team execution. He has led projects across a variety of sectors in the US, Europe, Central America, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. With regards to ecosystem conservation & sustainable land use, he has led efforts ranging from REDD+ financial modeling to investment management & reporting to engagement of stakeholders from local communities, the private sector, and government agencies.
Prior to Natural Strategies, Destin spent 9 years with Deloitte Consulting’s Strategy & Operations group. Destin holds a MBA and a Bachelor's in Finance.
Marianne Sulzer
Global Lead, Corporate Climate Action
Marianne advises our private sector clients on innovative financial solutions for carbon reduction and offsetting.
As such, Marianne leads our advisory services for footprint analysis, strategy, verification and monitoring and manages the portfolio of Natural Strategies’ projects for corporate investments and carbon credits.
With more than 15 years of experience, Marianne Sulzer is highly experienced as an international project manager and advisor to corporates for the greening of supply chains, sustainable sourcing and supplier development for agricultural products in emerging markets. As a manager for international impact investment funds including Finance in Motion, she has expertise in the mobilization of green finance for sustainable supply chain management.
Marianne is an Economist and holds an MBA in Supply Chain Management from ETH Zurich.
Marie-Ange Baudoin
Regional Lead, Nature-based Solutions Africa
Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Marie-Ange leads Natural Strategies' project portfolio in Africa. She has 10+ years of experience on climate change with a focus on adaptation in least developed countries (LDCs).
Her expertise includes project design for the GEF and the GCF, project evaluation (MTR), capacity building and technical assistance to access and use climate finance (especially through the GCF). Marie-Ange worked extensively in Africa, including in Benin, Burkina-Faso, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Guinea, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Swaziland. Previously, she worked as a university researcher and lecturer on climate change and sustainable development.
Marie-Ange holds a PhD in Environmental Science, a postgraduate degree in Development Studies, and a Master's degree in International Policy from the Free University of Brussels, Belgium.
OUR TEAM
Florian Vernaz
Regional Lead, Nature-based Solutions South East Asia
Based in Indonesia, Florian has been working on governance and sustainability issues in South East Asia for 15 years. With private sector and GGGI, he developed deep experience on sustainable land-use, integrating
small-holder farmers into sustainable value chains and on business planning for social forestry.
Among others, Florian
facilitated communal Plan Vivo Projects in South Sumatra to restore & conserve over 5,000 ha of peatland; supported spatial planning and green investments in Papua & West Papua; and advises private sector and indigenous groups on organic production of palm sugar, spices & nuts.
Florian graduated from Copenhagen Business School in 2005 with a MSc
in Development Economics. He was a member the Danish University Consortium for Environment and Development.
Catalina Bacerra
Regional Lead, Nature-based Solutions Latin America
Based in Cartagena, Colombia, Catalina leads Natural Strategies’ project portfolio in Latin America. With more than 9 years of experience, she supported the design and implementation of more than 40 land-use projects and programs in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Guatemala, and Chile, but also in Australia, Southeast Asia and Northern Africa for the issuance and trading of ecosystem services and carbon credits from REDD+, reforestation, afforestation and agroforestry initiatives.
She worked as a third-party validator and verifier of GHG projects and coordinated the validation and verification of several subnational FCPF REDD+ and ISFL Landscape Programs led and funded by the World Bank. Catalina has strong expertise in identifying and leading natural-based solutions projects in the forestry and agricultural sector.
Catalina is a forestry engineer and holds a Master's Degree in International Development Studies.
Alexander Hunfeld
Associate Consultant
As an Associate with Natural Strategies, Alexander develops innovative approaches for Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change around the world.
Among others, he gained extensive theoretical and practical experience on concession systems targeting the agroforestry and ecotourism sectors in developing countries; explored capitalization options for conservation trust funds to secure sustainable long-term financing of protected areas; and assessed best practices on structuring impact investment funds for climate change mitigation.
Alexander holds a Master’s in Resource Economics and Sustainable Development from the University of Bologna, Italy and has completed additional trainings on Nature-based Solutions and innovative finance mechanisms.
Monika Bertzky
Associate Consultant
Monika Bertzky has worked in international nature conservation for 15 years, using her academic background in natural & social sciences to generate knowledge products for environmental policy & decision-making. She has a record of accomplishment at developing and contributing to projects with UN bodies, governments, NGOs, academia & civil society in Africa, Asia & Latin America, as an employee & independent consultant.
Her main areas of expertise include social & environmental safeguards & standards (Cancun, UNDP, UNEP, GCF/IFC), risk assessment, SESA, ESMF, the role of biodiversity & ecosystems in climate change mitigation & adaptation, and protected area mgmt & governance, among others in the context of the GCF.
Monika holds a PhD in Human Geography, a University Diploma in Biology & has completed additional trainings, e.g. in Environmental Security & Sustaining Peace, Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries & Protected Area Management in Africa.
