29 September 2025, New York City – Last week the global sustainability community gathered in New York just weeks ahead of COP30: set to be a pivotal moment to galvanise global action to end deforestation. And as President Lula has called for many times, the success of this vital global mission depends on international climate finance reaching the Indigenous and traditional communities who have safeguarded forests for generations.
Everland is proud to be playing our part.
Our Executive Chairman Gerald Prolman was honored to join Puyr Tembé, Secretary of Indigenous Peoples for the State of Pará (where COP30 will be held) and Global Citizen co-founder Mick Sheldrick on stage at the Global Citizen NOW summit last Wednesday. Speaking to an audience of political and corporate leaders, Gerald reiterated Everland’s commitment to – and announced significant progress towards – unlocking financing for 20 Indigenous and traditional community-centered forest conservation projects across Amazonia through our Outcome Bond partnership with BNP Paribas.
The critical importance of this initiative was underlined time and again last week in NYC, especially during the high-level panel discussion Realizing an Equitable Future: The Role of the Private Sector.
Co-hosted by Everland and WCS, this event brought together a powerful coalition of Indigenous and financial sector leaders, and conservation and carbon market experts, to discuss the Outcome Bond initiative and the new Equitable Earth Standard:
“It’s important to have more movements like this, that give the opportunity for the Indigenous voices to be heard. It’s possible to work together and create it not for the Indigenous people, but with the Indigenous people from the beginning. Together, we can walk one path for a better future”
Puyr Tembé, Secretary of Indigenous Peoples for the State of Pará, Brazil
“The structure of the $50 million outcome bond will fund 20 Indigenous-led projects in the Amazon. All of them will be certified under the Equitable Earth Standard. And what’s great is that not only do these projects generate verified carbon credits, but there is a standard that guarantees equitable revenue sharing because the majority of proceeds will remain with Indigenous communities. And those communities can invest that directly in their conservation priorities, cultural resilience, and also local development. So, it’s done by Indigenous people, for Indigenous people – with mind to long-term resiliency.”
Constance Chalchat, Chief Sustainability Officer, BNP Paribas CIB and Global Markets
“REDD+ finance is essential [but] the market has to ensure social integrity. Therefore, at Forest Trends, we’ve been privileged to participate in the development of a new carbon standard – Equitable Earth – one that has Indigenous peoples and local communities at its center.”
Beto Borges, Director, Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative, Forest Trends
“The projects that we’re talking about with this [Outcome Bond initiative], are exactly the projects that we want to have in our portfolio because we know deeply that projects that are co-managed, co-designed, and for the communities and Indigenous peoples – are the ones that will be the most successful.”
Judith Simon, Chief Operating Officer, Equitable Earth
“When you have a credible standard like Equitable Earth, when you have Indigenous leadership, and when you have innovative financing like the Amazon Outcome Bond initiative – then, honestly, you have an ecosystem of solutions for success.”
Todd Stevens, Executive Director of Markets, WCS
“The Outcome Bond initiative that we’ve started with BNP Paribas is designed to provide $50 million that starts 20 projects. The amount of finance those projects will generate over the next 10 years is in the billions of dollars. But we need assurance. We need corporates to feel comfortable about doing this work. So, we wanted to bring together all the actors in the voluntary carbon market to provide a level of institutional oversight and governance that’s never been seen before in our marketplace.”
Joshua McCarron, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Business, Everland
____________________________________________________________________________
Alongside our partners, Everland continues to work towards the goals of the Outcome Bond initiative. Ultimately, with financing secured, we expect to channel at least $1 billion to 20 Indigenous and traditional community-centered forest conservation projects over the next ten years. We will share more news soon. Watch this space.
