Environmental markets reward people for protecting or restoring nature. They help tackle big challenges like biodiversity loss by turning caring for the environment into something that can earn money.
Growing population, and activities like land clearing, are damaging Country. This means some plants and animals that used to live here don’t anymore.
To help fix this the government and other groups are creating programs that reward people who protect and restore nature on their land. Projects that improve ecosystems – such as restoring native plants, protecting wildlife, or right-way fire management – can generate credits or certificates. These can be sold to businesses or governments that want to support sustainability or meet environmental goals.
This section focuses on biodiversity markets. In some cases, projects that protect and regenerate nature can also store carbon in the landscape and earn carbon credits too.
Learn more about Carbon Markets.
In Australia, environmental markets are becoming an important way to protect wildlife, and repair damaged land. They encourage people to take action to look after nature. They also give First Nations communities a chance to share their deep knowledge of Country.
Some of the activities supported through environmental markets include:
- Planting trees
- Protecting animals and their habitats
- Cleaning up rivers or wetlands
- Bringing back traditional fire management practices
