PFP PROGRESS
Enduring Earth is a bold collaboration working to secure a healthy planet by establishing long-term financing that supports conservation, economic diversification, and community prosperity. Its approach is grounded in a deep commitment to upholding rights, strengthening local leadership, and creating lasting opportunities for sustainable growth.
Since its launch in 2021, Enduring Earth has worked with governments, Indigenous peoples, communities, local partners, and funders across five Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiatives in Canada, Mongolia, and Colombia. Eleven additional projects are underway in thirteen countries, including the first in Africa. Together, these efforts have secured 207 million hectares for durable conservation, strengthening community livelihoods through inclusive stewardship and sustainable economic development.
207 million hectares of lands and waters conserved through PFPs since 2022
150 local partners including Indigenous peoples, governments, and funders engaged
1.4 billion USD secured in durable financing for people and nature
5 PFP projects launched in Canada, Colombia, and Mongolia
Indigenous peoples and local communities are at the heart of this work. Their leadership and active participation safeguard biodiversity, sustain cultural vitality, expand economic opportunity, and ensure the well-being of future generations. Through the PFP model, all partners unite to protect lands and waters for the long term—Indigenous peoples lead territory planning, Indigenous Guardians serve as enduring caretakers, and communities balance development with conservation for the benefit of all.
Where we Work
PFP projects led locally and supported by Enduring Earth: Herencia Colombia, Eternal Mongolia, Great Bear Sea, Canada, Northwest Territories: Our Land for the Future, Canada, SINAA Qikiqtani PFP, Canada
PFP projects in planning: Brazil, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Canada, Gabon, Eastern Tropical Pacific, Kenya, Namibia, Panama, Mexico
PFPs launched pre- Enduring Earth: Amazon Regional Protected Area, Bhutan for Life, Great Bear Rainforest, Canada, Forever Costa Rica, Peru’s Natural Legacy.
“The success of Eternal Mongolia is not solely about protecting Mongolia’s landscapes but doing so in a way that honors and values generations of traditional knowledge while building sustainable livelihoods and futures”
June 2022, the Government of Colombia, together with community, public, and private partners, launched Heritage Colombia (HECO), a PFP initiative securing US$245 million to protect 32 million hectares of lands and waters, with investments in community forestry, tourism, and restoration projects led by Indigenous peoples, rural communities, women’s organizations, and youth. HECO marks a major step toward Colombia’s goal of conserving 30 percent of its land and oceans by 2030 and contributes to a regional network of PFPs safeguarding about 12 percent of the Amazon rainforest. Over the next decade, it will help create more than 3 million hectares of new terrestrial protected areas and at least 15 million hectares of marine protected areas, strengthen management across existing lands, and protect resources that sustain millions of Colombians.
April 2024, the Eternal Mongolia PFP was launched through a partnership between the Government of Mongolia, local herding communities, The Nature Conservancy, and others. This initiative secures $198 million to protect 14.4 million hectares of critical ecosystems, enhance management across 47 million hectares of protected areas, and extend sustainable practices to 34 million hectares of community-managed lands. Over the next 15 years, it will provide lasting conservation and community-driven economic development, creating a global model for balancing ecological preservation and socio-economic advancement. As part of Mongolia’s 30 by 30 conservation goals and the Biodiversity Plan, this initiative demonstrates the power of sustainable financing to deliver lasting benefits for nature and communities alike.
June 2024, the Great Bear Sea PFP agreement was signed, led by 17 First Nations in partnership with the Governments of Canada and British Columbia. This initiative establishes protections for 10 million hectares – 30% of the Great Bear Sea, through a network of marine protected areas. By combining traditional knowledge with science, it will safeguard 84 species at risk while enhancing and expanding protections. The Great Bear Sea PFP secures CAD$335 million in long-term funding to support conservation, community-led economic development, and Indigenous stewardship programs. It will generate 3,000 jobs, 32,000 days of skills training, and enduring funding for Indigenous Guardian programs. This transformative effort ensures both ecological resilience and economic empowerment for First Nations communities. Photo courtesy Georgie Lawson Photography.
November 2024, the Northwest Territories (NWT): Our Land for the Future PFP was signed by 22 Indigenous governments, the Government of Canada, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and philanthropic partners. This Indigenous-led initiative conserves 38 million hectares, an area larger than Japan, and secures CAD$375 million to advance conservation, stewardship, and sustainable economic development. As one of the largest PFPs in the world by area, it sets a new standard for collaborative, community-driven conservation. Over the next decade, the fund will support Indigenous-led stewardship and the creation of new protected and conserved areas, Guardian programs, language and cultural revitalization, and climate research. It is expected to generate hundreds of jobs, promote economic diversification, and help communities adapt to growing climate challenges.
February 2025, the SINAA PFP Agreement was signed, marking a historic milestone for Inuit-led conservation. Led by the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA), in partnership with the Government of Canada and philanthropic allies, the agreement establishes plans for new and enhanced environmental protections and Inuit governance across 79.5 million hectares of Qikiqtani lands and waters—advancing QIA’s vision for regional conservation. Covering 10 percent of Canada’s landmass, the Qikiqtani Region is home to more than 20,000 people, 80 percent of whom are Inuit. Grounded in Inuit stewardship, the SINAA PFP will support Qikiqtani communities in strengthening well-being, expanding economic opportunity, and safeguarding the health of their lands, waters, and wildlife through an Inuit-led regional conservation economy.
PFPs are designed to achieve long-term success through sustained accountability, transparent operations, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Tracking the impact of a PFP is not an optional feature within the model; it represents a foundational pillar for every supported project. Each PFP incorporates rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks to evaluate ecological, social, governance, and financial outcomes over time. This ensures that commitments lead to demonstrable, measurable results and enables projects to adapt to evolving challenges and opportunities. Impact tracking serves three main purposes:
Ensure Delivery and Accountability
Performance is evaluated not only by the extent of area or ecosystem conserved, but by indicators such as ecological health, governance strength, and community well-being. Regular, structured tracking facilitates alignment with initial goals and enables strategic adjustments when circumstances change.
Foster Trust and Transparency
Transparent reporting cultivates strong relationships with local partners, leaders, and communities, ensuring that all stewards are actively engaged and confident in the integrity and performance of each initiative.
Adapt and Continuously Improve
The conservation landscape is dynamic. Ongoing monitoring informs adaptive management, supports evidence-based decision making, and enhances project resilience and effectiveness over time
MEL strategies are co-developed with local partners and are grounded in principles of equity, inclusion, and scientific rigor. The process prioritizes locally relevant indicators, open data access, and participatory mechanisms that amplify community voices and support national accountability systems. Impact tracking is the vehicle by which PFPs achieve lasting protection for nature, deliver benefits to communities, and generate enduring value for both people and planet.
Enduring Earth recognizes that effective stewardship of land and natural resources depends on respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities—including their right to self-determination—and on supporting their leadership, governance systems, and access to sustainable social, financial, and economic benefits.
We work to uphold and strengthen the rights, leadership, and engagement of Indigenous peoples and local communities through the following approaches:
Recognize, respect, and enhance rights to land, water, and natural resources.
Strengthen stewardship of land, water, and natural resources.
Support good governance through representative, equitable, accountable, transparent, and culturally aligned decision-making bodies.
Promote culturally grounded economic development and long-term sustainability.
Scale collective support to achieve meaningful and lasting programmatic impact.
Anticipate and minimize unintended risks.