The Darwin Initiative is a UK government grants scheme that helps to protect biodiversity and the natural environment through locally based projects worldwide.
The Darwin Initiative was announced by the UK Government at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The Darwin Initiative supports developing countries to conserve biodiversity and reduce poverty. The Darwin Initiative (funded by Defra, DFID and FCO) provides grants for projects working to help developing countries meet their objectives under: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The Darwin Initiative provides support to help deliver long-term strategic outcomes for the natural environment in the UK’s Overseas Territories (OTs) through the Darwin Plus fund.
The Darwin Expert Committee (currently chaired by Professor Stephen Blackmore), consists of experts from government, academia, science and the private sector. The Committee makes recommendations to Ministers on applications for funding.
