Buying Environmental Outcomes
Cutting taxpayer expenses and restoration project timelines in half.
How We Work
We make environmental funding stretch further by only paying for results that actually happen, like fewer pollutants in water or more fish getting upstream. This approach, called Pay for Success, allows the government and investors to buy actualized environmental outcomes, just like they buy office supplies. The Pay for Success model shifts the focus from funding activities and processes to paying for quantifiable, certified improvements to the environment, such as pounds of nitrogen removed from waterways, tons of carbon sequestered in soil, or linear feet of stream restored. This approach aligns incentives for innovation and cost-effectiveness, leading to bigger impacts and accelerated progress compared to traditional, process-focused conservation programs. It also opens up more opportunities for private funding to support public goals, so the government doesn’t have to bear the full cost. It’s a smarter way to get more restoration done.
Why It Matters
Our government’s default contracting practice is over one hundred years old. With innovations in technology, advancements in finance, and the need for fast environmental progress, we need to rethink how we structure contracts in a way that works in service of nature and public health.