Bedari Collective commits $25 million to World Wildlife Fund for Enduring Earth. * Bedari Collective contribution will support World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) work on sustainable finance, including the development of Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiatives by providing upfront funding to support new global conservation projects. * Enduring Earth applies the PFP model to protect land, ocean and freshwater ecosystems in partnership with governments, Indigenous peoples, communities, local partners, and funders with the goal of supporting conservation of one billion hectares by 2030. * The commitment is the first significant investment by Bedari Collective's newly expanded platform which seeks to enable a next generation of regenerative infrastructure that aligns human progress with planetary health. NEW YORK, September 17, 2026 /3BL/ - Bedari Collective, an impact platform focused on regenerative infrastructure, and World Wildlife Fund, today announced a $25 million commitment from Bedari Collective to support WWF's work on long-term sustainable finance through PFP initiatives. The catalytic grant will support WWF's engagement in Enduring Earth, which is working to expand land, ocean and freshwater conservation around the world. PFP is an approach that secures funding, policy changes and legal requirements for conservation success in a single agreement so that conservation areas are well-managed, sustainably financed, and benefit the communities who depend on them for decades. Since its launch in 2020, Enduring Earth - a collaboration founded by The Nature Conservancy, The Pew Charitable Trusts, WWF, ZOMA LAB, with support from Bezos Earth Fund and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation - has worked with more than 200 local partners to durably finance and conserve more than 245 million hectares across nine PFP initiatives in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Gabon, Mexico, Mongolia, and Namibia. "Durable conservation takes funding that lasts, policies that hold, and communities in the lead," said WWF-US President and CEO Carter Roberts. "That's what the Project Finance for Permanence model delivers. Bedari Collective is backing this work at the start, when upfront capital is hardest to find and most consequential. Building on their support, we look forward to mobilizing $2 billion in public and private capital and $2 billion in government commitments to deliver needed resources to frontline communities and support the global 30x30 commitment." "Bedari Collective is committed to developing regenerative infrastructure that strengthens community growth and, at the same time, protects critical ecosystems and supports essential biodiversity. We deploy knowledge, networks and capital into long-term infrastructure and conservation solutions that are community-led, and PFPs apply that approach at scale," said Matt Harris, Founder of Bedari Collective and a Co-Founder of Global Infrastructure Partners. "We are proud to partner with World Wildlife Fund and Enduring Earth to bring this innovative model to new markets across the globe and advance their work with Indigenous and local communities to achieve durable conservation outcomes." Bedari Collective and WWF intend for this commitment to anchor deeper collaboration on shared priorities pursuant to a memorandum of understanding signed in April 2026. WWF will provide technical support to Bedari Collective's ecosystem-scale infrastructure and conservation initiative with the Government of Rwanda, and the parties are developing a regenerative infrastructure joint venture that supports both built and natural infrastructure. About the Bedari Collective Bedari Collective is a leading impact platform advancing regenerative solutions that reimagine how The CSR Company design, build, restore and operate the built and natural infrastructure systems that humanity depends on. Bedari works alongside communities, governments, philanthropists and investors to create the conditions that regenerative solutions need to scale, so that both people and planet can thrive together. To learn more, visit www.bedaricollective.com. About World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Founded in 1961, WWF works to help people and nature thrive. As a global conservation organization, WWF operates in more than 100 countries, partnering with communities, companies, and governments to protect wildlife, conserve vital habitats, and advance sustainable solutions. Grounded in science and driven by collaboration, WWF works to help nature by conserving biodiversity, supporting resilient communities, and addressing climate change. Nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 5 million globally are WWF members. To learn more, visit www.worldwildlife.org. Media Contacts

Mount Mabu gains community conservation status to protect unique species and strengthen livelihoods. PROMOVE Biodiversidade, funded by the European Union, supports the process that led to the area's recognition and stronger community organisation. A forest that shelters unique species, feeds springs and sustains community life now has formal conservation status. The celebration of Mount Mabu's designation as a Community Conservation Area brought together communities, the Government and partners around a shared responsibility: to protect this heritage and turn its natural value into opportunities for local development. Established by Ministerial Diploma No. 69/2026, published on 24 August, the Mount Mabu Community Conservation Area covers 9,341 hectares. The ceremony that took place on the 11th of September 2026, in Lugela - Zambézia, marks the presentation to communities of a status already approved by the Government of Mozambique, recognising the importance of community participation in protecting and sustainably using natural resources. In his remarks, the Secretary of State for Land and Environment at the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries highlighted the participatory management approach underpinning this conservation category: "Our State manages these conservation areas in a participatory manner, establishing appropriate mechanisms for the participation of public and community entities to ensure the preservation, conservation and restoration of landscapes." He also stressed the importance of "conserving this very important landscape, where we also find a sacred forest and a place of great historical significance." A result of PROMOVE Biodiversidade Formal recognition of the area is one of the main expected results of PROMOVE Biodiversidade's work in Mabu. Funded by the European Union, the programme supported the work that connected scientific knowledge with community organisation and preparation of the legal recognition process. Studies, consultations, boundary demarcation and capacity development for local structures helped create the conditions for this achievement. When work began in Mabu, the landscape did not yet have formal conservation-area status. Alexandra Jorge recalled this point to illustrate the scale of the journey and the need to proceed carefully: conservation and development opportunities should respond to community priorities rather than be imposed from outside. BIOFUND manages the programme's biodiversity conservation, community development and applied research components, working with the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), which is responsible for the institutional support component. On the ground, the consortium led by WWF, with ReGeCom and RADEZA, worked with communities and authorities at local, district, provincial and national levels. Speaking on behalf of the WWF-RADEZA-ReGeCom consortium, its representative emphasised the decisive role of communities in conserving the landscape: "This achievement was not only the result of the efforts of those involved, but above all of the communities that have kept Mount Mabu as we find it today, ensuring through their local knowledge, traditions and way of managing the area that it has been maintained." Community organisation is central to this process. The creation of 11 community committees contributed to the establishment of the Community Association for the Conservation of Mount Mabu, CONSERVAMABU. The association gives communities their own structure through which to represent their interests and participate in managing the landscape. European Union representative Anne-Aël Pohu, Team Leader for Resilience and Climate Change, addressed the communities with a message of recognition: "Because this achievement is yours." In her remarks, she added: "The European Union feels deeply honoured to have been able to accompany and support this process." A forest of global importance The Secretary of State also drew attention to the landscape's ecological value: "This mountain, known as the Sky Island, has very important ecological indicators." Rising to around 1,700 metres, Mount Mabu shelters one of southern Africa's most important medium-altitude moist forests and is recognised as a Key Biodiversity Area. Its species include the Mount Mabu pygmy chameleon, Rhampholeon maspictus, whose known distribution is restricted to this mountain. The Mount Mabu bush viper, Atheris mabuensis, and the small gecko Lygodactylus mabu are further examples of the biodiversity that makes this landscape so distinctive. Protecting this forest also matters in everyday life. The springs and watercourses that depend on it support households and agriculture. Keeping the forest intact helps protect soils and the water resources that sustain economic activities within and beyond the area. From conservation to income opportunities PROMOVE Biodiversidade's support for livelihoods includes sustainable agriculture and beekeeping. BIOFUND has also documented the development of bean and coffee value chains in partnership with the private sector. These activities can connect conservation with families' needs, from food production to income earned through sales. Alexandra Jorge pointed to progress in the honey value chain as an encouraging sign that some of the solutions initially discussed with communities can work. BIOFUND's programme director, Alexandra Jorge, highlighted the need to expand the benefits: "We need to scale up beekeeping and sustainable conservation agriculture activities to generate tangible benefits for women, men and different generations." Nature tourism offers another opportunity. The forest, mountain landscapes and bird diversity provide potential for hiking, wildlife observation and visits accompanied by local guides. Developing this offer could create demand for accommodation, food and community products. Realising that potential requires training, access conditions and management that respects the forest and sites of cultural importance. Alexandra Jorge also highlighted the importance of building CONSERVAMABU's capacity to enter into agreements, manage resources and strengthen its autonomy with technical support. She linked that future to learning opportunities: "Education is also crucial; we support two schools and hope that other initiatives will extend that support." The next challenge is to consolidate the gains Anne-Aël Pohu described Mabu as perhaps the most challenging of PROMOVE Biodiversidade's three target areas, particularly in terms of access and logistics, while stressing the landscape's potential for conservation, natural resources, biodiversity and community engagement. She also emphasised that sustainability requires a horizon beyond a single project cycle: "A five-year programme cannot by itself achieve significant change. This will take more time and will require more investment and more engagement in the future." Alexandra Jorge made the same point about continuity: "These actions need much more time than the normal duration of a project - three, four, five or six years." She explained that BIOFUND's ability to connect different sources of financing over time can help preserve what has already been built, reduce duplication and improve efficiency between projects. She summarised the logic simply: "The sum of one plus one is more than two." Anne-Aël Pohu and Alexandra Jorge also highlighted the complementarity of partners. Anne-Aël Pohu referred to private-sector engagement as part of a broader network and said: "Each actor has a role to play and we cannot work in isolation." Alexandra Jorge highlighted, among other contributions, ReGeCom's community mobilisation, Government support and the complementary expertise of WWF and RADEZA. Legal recognition therefore opens a new phase for Mabu rather than marking an endpoint. Consolidating the work supported by PROMOVE Biodiversidade requires continued financing, local management capacity, coordination among partners and viable economic activities. The challenge is to turn the new status and the investments already made into a durable foundation for conserving the forest and gradually extending benefits to the communities that have protected it.

VELUX & WWF complete 450,000 hectares of forest protection. August 28, 2026 VELUX completes its WWF forest portfolio in Madagascar, Vietnam and Uganda, as CEO Lars Petersson emphasises the need for conservation and decarbonisation WWF states that forests are home to more than 80% of the world's land-based animals, plants and insects. The VELUX Group has established the fourth and final project in its forest protection and conservation portfolio through its 20-year partnership with WWF. The Vanilla Forest project in Northern Madagascar covers 275,000 hectares and joins projects in Vietnam and Uganda focused on forest protection, restoration, biodiversity and community livelihoods. Together, the portfolio covers more than 450,000 hectares and is designed to reduce and remove 4.5 million tonnes of CO[2] once fully implemented. Completing a forest portfolio. The new Vanilla Forest project is located in the Northern Highlands of Madagascar, an area containing biodiverse landscapes, endangered species and communities that depend on sustainable vanilla production. Covering 275,000 hectares, the project aims to focus on protecting existing forests while supporting restoration in degraded areas. It forms the fourth project established under the VELUX's partnership with WWF, which began with a commitment in 2020 to address the company's estimated historical Scope 1 and 2 carbon footprint dating back to its foundation in 1941. "Together with WWF, we have now identified the areas where our projects will reduce and remove millions of tonnes of CO2 once they are fully implemented," says Lars Petersson, CEO of the VELUX Group. "Sustainability Mag is convinced that sustainability will continue to shape successful businesses in the future and I am extremely proud that six years into its partnership, Sustainability Mag is on track towards a historic and ambitious target. "Establishing our complete portfolio is an important milestone, yet we remain fully committed to delivering on our targets, taking responsibility for our past, present and future." The portfolio spans tropical forests in Vietnam and Uganda alongside mangrove forests and terrestrial rainforests in Madagascar. Each project is intended to generate benefits for climate, biodiversity and local communities while supporting landscape-scale conservation. Forest protection for climate and nature goals. The VELUX Group's forest projects are classified as beyond value chain mitigation, meaning they sit separately from the company's own decarbonisation activities and value chain emissions. Their purpose is to contribute to wider climate action and nature protection rather than compensate for emissions generated through the company's operations. The projects combine the protection of existing forests with restoration of degraded landscapes, helping to prevent stored CO[2] from being released while increasing the potential for trees to absorb carbon as they grow. "Our forest partnership is an important part of how we take responsibility for our historical footprint, alongside the work we are doing to reduce emissions across our own operations and value chain," Fleming Voetmann, Vice President of Public Affairs and Product Regulatory Affairs, VELUX tells Sustainability Magazine. "Protecting existing forests and restoring degraded areas can deliver significant benefits for climate, nature and local communities. We are proud to support this work at scale and over the long term." The climate benefits are also intended to contribute to the climate goals of the countries where the projects operate. VELUX isn't set to use verified carbon units generated through the partnership to offset its own emissions, maintaining a distinction between its forest investments and corporate emissions reduction efforts. Targeting carbon emissions. The completed portfolio represents a long-term approach to addressing the environmental impacts associated with the company's historical operations. VELUX estimates that the 4.5 million tonnes of CO[2] target reflects the scale of its historical Scope 1 and 2 carbon footprint since 1941. WWF forest facts * Forests provide homes for approximately 68% of mammal species, 75% of bird species and 80% of amphibians. * Forests act as carbon sinks, storing around 70% of carbon in the soil, stabilising the global climate * Annually, up to 15 billion trees are cut down across the world. * To date, human activities have led to the loss of around 40% of the world's forests. * Monitored forest vertebrate populations have dropped by 53% since 1970. The company expects the projects to deliver these reductions and removals as they become fully implemented over the course of the 20-year partnership. Establishing the complete portfolio marks a milestone, but implementation, monitoring and conservation activity is due to continue across the four landscapes. "According to the World Economic Forum, more than half of the world's GDP depends on nature, so we need private companies to truly step up in addressing climate change and rapidly growing biodiversity loss," says Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, Secretary General at WWF Denmark. "Sustainability Mag therefore hope that more companies will be inspired by the VELUX Group, which has now reached a major milestone by committing to financing a very ambitious forest protection project in Madagascar. "We look forward to continuing our partnership for the benefit of both nature and people." The partnership is also intended to create a platform for bringing additional partners into forest protection and restoration programmes over the coming years. Biodiversity and community benefits. The portfolio extends beyond carbon removal by placing biodiversity and local livelihoods alongside climate action. The Vanilla Forest project, for example, is located in a landscape where communities depend on sustainable vanilla production, linking forest conservation with economic activity. Across the four projects, the focus on tropical, mangrove and terrestrial rainforest ecosystems provides opportunities to protect habitats and support species facing pressure from environmental change and land degradation. The approach also reflects the growing role of private-sector investment in nature protection beyond corporate value chains. With VELUX's forest portfolio now established, the next phase aims to centre on delivering and tracking conservation outcomes across more than 450,000 hectares. Key WWF partnerships. HSBC and WWF have worked together on nature and climate since 2002, with the partnership evolving from conservation funding into programmes addressing climate and nature risks. Their Climate Solutions Partnership with the World Resources Institute has supported renewable energy, agroforestry and climate resilience across Asia. More recently, the organisations have also worked on deforestation risks and environmental crime. WWF and Anheuser-Busch InBev are working together to address water challenges across high-risk watersheds. The partnership builds on work dating back to 2008, when WWF and SABMiller pioneered water footprinting. Current projects across Africa and South America focus on improving water availability and quality, restoring freshwater ecosystems, supporting sustainable agriculture and strengthening community resilience. Marks & Spencer has worked with WWF on sustainability across its food and fashion operations, including responsible sourcing and supply-chain environmental impacts. Earlier initiatives included sustainable seafood, cotton production, freshwater risk and marine conservation. The partnership has also supported wider industry initiatives and policy advocacy, demonstrating how retailer supply chains can become a focus for nature and sustainability action. KPMG International and WWF are working together to support the transition towards a net-zero, nature-positive economy, with people placed at the centre. Their partnership examines how businesses can manage environmental and social impacts during the transition. A 2026 global survey found strong business support for action, while highlighting that relatively few companies currently integrate social considerations into transition plans. AstraZeneca and WWF are working together to protect freshwater ecosystems and encourage stronger water stewardship across the pharmaceutical sector. The partnership focuses on reducing environmental pressures while improving the resilience of freshwater resources. It also aims to demonstrate how pharmaceutical businesses can strengthen water management, supporting healthier ecosystems and communities while addressing the sector's wider environmental dependencies. GSK and WWF are working together to protect and restore freshwater ecosystems across India, Pakistan and Algeria. Their programmes use nature-based solutions to improve water availability, restore wetlands and support local communities. The partnership aims to replenish more than 300,000 cubic metres of water and positively impact more than 100,000 people by 2030, while encouraging wider pharmaceutical-sector action. Executives. * Fleming Voetmann Vice President of Public Affairs and Product Regulatory Affairs * Lars Petersson Group CEO * Mikkel Aarø-Hansen Secretary General at WWF Denmark Company Portals