Biodiversity conservation is a top priority of environmental philanthropic funding in China, according to China’s largest environmental grant-making foundation.  

Findings by the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology (SEE) Foundation show that $270 million was allocated to biodiversity conservation from 2016 to 2020, accounting for 69 per cent of the environmental philanthropic funding in China. 

Funding for biodiversity conservation is much higher than pollution control, energy, and climate change initiatives.  

Most of the total philanthropic funding for biodiversity conservation in China comes from private companies, foundations with endowments, or charitable trusts. Donations from high-net-worth individuals and individuals are, according to the research published Zhang Li, Vice Chairman of the SEE, minimal.  

The research concludes that although philanthropic funding for biodiversity conservation in China remains limited, philanthropic funding for biodiversity conservation can play an important role in leveraging government funding and testing new models or approaches.   

Shafi Musaddique is the news editor at Alliance Magazine