Investing in Forests with Pete Corke │ S4Ep5 🌲🎧

Tereza Bizkova, Maya Dentzel

Oct 21, 2024 • 2 min read

What if we had a better way to value forests and the communities that protect them?

In Episode 5 of Season 4, The Regeneration Nexus, of the ReFi Podcast, hosts Maya Dentzel and Tereza Bízková welcome Pete Corke, regenerative innovator and co-founder of Kwaxala. Pete’s work in British Columbia focuses on moving away from harmful economic models and empowering indigenous communities to protect and regenerate their forests.

Pete shares his approach to shifting from extraction to stewardship, emphasizing the importance of respecting indigenous knowledge and land rights. He shows us how local communities can take control of their resources and create sustainable futures.

By combining real-world impact with innovative finance, Pete offers practical solutions for protecting ecosystems and valuing them for their economic worth and their role in supporting life.

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The current economic model incentivizes destruction—forests are seen as financial liabilities unless they’re being cut down. We’re changing that narrative by creating regenerative finance models that allow forests to generate revenue through protection, not extraction.

Key insights from Episode 5 include... 💡

Rights to Regenerate: Pete explains how British Columbia's indigenous-led cooperatives are turning the tables on traditional logging by securing rights to regenerate, not extract. This creates a long-term, sustainable way to manage forests.
Indigenous Leadership at the Core: Pete highlights the vital role that indigenous knowledge plays in protecting forests. These communities have been caring for the land for generations, and empowering them is key to effective conservation.
Transforming Economic Models: Pete shows how regenerative finance can provide an economic alternative that benefits both people and the planet. Instead of focusing on extraction, these models value ecosystems as living assets that need to be protected and nurtured.
Moving Beyond Carbon Offsets: Carbon credits are just one part of the equation. Pete talks about the broader ecological benefits of forests, like improving biodiversity and water quality, and how we can capture and measure these impacts.

🎧 Tune in to Episode 5

And don’t forget! We’re hosting a live discussion on Episode 5 this Friday, Oct 25, at 11 AM ET! 🎙️ Share your thoughts and dive deeper into the world of regenerative finance with us. 🌿

👉 Join the discussion on Twitter Spaces: https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1mrxmMeDmRgxy

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