"In a carbon constrained future, climate change becomes a financial issue, and the financial services industry needs to develop financial solutions and risk mitigation techniques to assist clients in achieving global emissions reductions. The matter has become a new strategic business imperative requiring a blend of both vision and action."

Report on statement made by John Fitzpatrick, CFO, Swiss Re, October 2002.

BTRF acts as an independent interface between the international conservation and financial communities on global sustainable development issues accorded priority status by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity, Agenda 21 and other international instruments.

It particularly focuses on identifying and implementing new strategies and financial mechanisms to optimise the marketing and investment opportunities offered by emerging biodiversity and carbon markets.

These markets are currently among the fastest growing. The imminent potential of North/South funding flows in the context of carbon sequestration and other carbon fund mechanisms has been estimated as high as 50 billion dollars a year - equivalent to current aid flows. The Rothschild investment bank has estimated that the global trading market could be worth up to $150 billion by 2012.