Global environmental organization The Nature Conservancy ( TNC ) is scaling up its presence in Singapore to lead the early-stage development of nature-based carbon projects across the region.

Backed by the Singapore Economic Development Board’s ( EDB ) carbon project development grant, this expansion reinforces the city-state’s ambitions to become a hub for high-quality, internationally traded carbon credits under Article 6 of the Paris agreement.

At the heart of the move is a new dedicated team housed in TNC’s Singapore office that is focused on carbon project origination, design, and feasibility assessment.

The team will specialize in vital areas such as carbon accounting, stakeholder engagement, applied science, and financial planning, building the technical backbone necessary for credible and scalable nature-based solutions ( NbS ).

TNC will prioritize projects that align with Singapore’s international carbon credit ( ICC ) framework and are located in countries with bilateral cooperation agreements with the city-state.

The expansion is designed not only to originate carbon credits but also to build local capacity across Asia for delivering long-term, science-based environmental and community benefits.

“This grant builds on decades of collaboration between TNC and Singapore, allowing us to channel our scientific and community-driven expertise into the development of credible, nature-based climate solutions,” says Tamara Singh, managing director, Singapore, and senior adviser, regional programmes, at TNC.

With more than 60 carbon projects under development globally, 15 of which are already active in the Asia-Pacific, TNC is a recognized leader in integrating biodiversity protection and community benefits into the climate finance ecosystem.

Its track record includes landmark achievements like the world’s first Gold-certified reforestation project in China and the first registered blue carbon project in South Australia.