After four and a half years of collaboration and impact across 6 countries in Africa and Asia, COMBO+ successfully concluded its second phase in early 2026. The programme supported governments, industry, financial institutions, civil society and other stakeholders to strengthen biodiversity mitigation and compensation policy and practice, helping to reconcile economic development with the conservation of biodiversity.
As we reach this milestone, an external evaluation commissioned by the programme's donors, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM), has assessed the achievements, lessons learned and contributions of COMBO+ across its diverse country contexts. The evaluation highlights the programme's significant role in advancing the mitigation hierarchy, strengthening institutional capacity, supporting policy development, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.
While COMBO+ in its current form has come to a close, more work is to be done. A new chapter for COMBO+ is being prepared in each participating country, with efforts underway to secure additional funding that will enable country-specific programmes to continue supporting national priorities and help sustain the progress achieved to date.
At the same time, WCS and its partners are building on the foundations established by COMBO+ to expand support for high-quality biodiversity mitigation and compensation policy and practice in a broader range of countries. Through new partnerships and initiatives, we continue working with many different actors to strengthen approaches that help achieve better outcomes for both development and nature. One example is the recently launched Compensatory Conservation Schemes Support (C2S2) Network: we aim to accelerate knowledge sharing, capacity building and practical implementation of good practice approaches worldwide: for more please visit the Green Finance Institute’s website.
A big thank you to all COMBO+ partners (Biotope, BIOFUND, Myanmar Biodiversity Fund, Guinee Ecologie, University of Queensland), collaborators, government counterparts, private sector participants, civil society organisations and technical experts who contributed their time, expertise and commitment throughout the programme. We are especially grateful to AFD and FFEM for their vision, trust and continued support. The achievements of COMBO+ are the result of a truly collective effort, and we look forward to building on this legacy together in the years ahead!