Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)

Non-fungible tokens, NFTs function as digital certificates of ownership recorded on a blockchain. In conservation, they verify the authenticity of scientific records, conservation impact reports, and land ownership documents. Unlike traditional collectibles, NFTs can also be dynamic, updating with real-world conservation progress, such as forest regrowth. By integrating smart contracts, NFTs ensure transparent transactions and fund allocation, helping conservationists create sustainable income streams. NFTs also allow for the tokenisation of real-world conservation assets, such as protected land, carbon credits, or species adoptions, providing new financial mechanisms for long-term funding. Some conservation-focused NFTs incorporate royalty mechanisms, ensuring a percentage of resales continues to fund conservation initiatives. However, concerns exist about speculation and environmental impact, making it essential to use sustainable blockchain solutions and focus on NFTs as verification tools rather than speculative assets. By framing NFTs as digital certification tools, they can help build trust, support sustainable funding, and create transparent conservation impact measurement systems.

Discover how your organisation could apply NFTs and digital certificates to verify outcomes, trace contributions, and drive positive conservation impact through the Navigating Web 3.0 Guide for conservationists.

Written by Dr. Louisa Richmond-Coggan, LRC Wildlife Conservation Consulting

Targets & Actions

This technology can support the implementation of target 19

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Target 19 - Mobilize $200 Billion per Year for Biodiversity From all Sources, Including $30 Billion Through International Finance

Substantially and progressively increase the level of financial resources from all sources, in an effective, timely and easily accessible manner, including domestic, international, public and private resources, in accordance with Article 20 of the Convention, to implement national biodiversity strategies and action plans, by 2030 mobilizing at least 200 billion United States dollars per year, including by: (a) Increasing total biodiversity related international financial resources from developed countries, including official development assistance, and from countries that voluntarily assume obligations of developed country Parties, to developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, to at least US$ 20 billion per year by 2025, and to at least US$ 30 billion per year by 2030; (b) Significantly increasing domestic resource mobilization, facilitated by the preparation and implementation of national biodiversity finance plans or similar instruments according to national needs, priorities and circumstances; (c) Leveraging private finance, promoting blended finance, implementing strategies for raising new and additional resources, and encouraging the private sector to invest in biodiversity, including through impact funds and other instruments; (d) Stimulating innovative schemes such as payment for ecosystem services, green bonds, biodiversity offsets and credits, benefit-sharing mechanisms, with environmental and social safeguards; (e) Optimizing co-benefits and synergies of finance targeting the biodiversity and climate crises; (f) Enhancing the role of collective actions, including by indigenous peoples and local communities, Mother Earth centric actions2 and non-market- based approaches including community based natural resource management and civil society cooperation and solidarity aimed at the conservation of biodiversity; (g) Enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of resource provision and use.