Mozambique’s BCI, BIOFUND renew partnership to fund biodiversity projects via Bio Card

The Banco Comercial e de Investimentos (BCI) and the Biodiversity Conservation Fund (BIOFUND) signed on Monday (9) at BCI headquarters in Maputo an addendum to their Partnership and Cooperation Protocol, renewing and strengthening the joint initiative launched in December 2017. The ceremony marked the continuation of a shared vision that, for more than eight years, has transformed an everyday banking tool into a vehicle for environmental citizenship: the Bio Card, a payment method that has enabled part of the revenue from fees and transactions to be channelled into biodiversity conservation projects in the country. For the Chief Executive Officer of BCI, Francisco Costa, this partnership is an important pillar of the Bank’s social responsibility strategy.

“It is a partnership we want to continue developing and maintaining, and one we hope to see grow, hand in hand with BIOFUND,” he said, emphasising the importance of protecting Mozambique’s vast biodiversity. Francisco Costa also highlighted three central challenges of this cooperation: BCI’s commitment to increasing the card’s user base to generate more resources for conservation; BIOFUND’s responsibility to ensure the effective impact of these funds; and the collective, yet primarily local, challenge of harmonising environmental conservation with community acceptance and well-being. “We are the silent and distant partners, but we want, as far as possible, to be as close as we can and continue to support,” he added.

On the occasion, the Chairman of BIOFUND’s Board, Carlos dos Santos, praised the maturity and solidity of the cooperation, noting that the addendum “updates the relationship between the parties, consolidates duties of transparency and integrity, strengthens environmental and social safeguards, establishes mechanisms for risk and complaint management, and clarifies contributions and responsibilities that provide predictability and solidity to the partnership.” Carlos dos Santos also highlighted the initiative’s transformative role, which has already raised over 37 million meticais and has more than 45,000 users, supporting projects ranging from the protection of endangered species to the mitigation of conflicts between communities and wildlife. The Bio Card is a common banking solution, but with a significant difference: when used in daily transactions, part of the value is converted into funding for environmental projects in Mozambique, meaning that every POS purchase helps to protect nature. The funds generated have already supported initiatives such as the protection of rhinos and marine turtles, the preservation of a rare palm in the Bobole Botanical Reserve, the monitoring of sea turtles, and the reduction of conflicts between elephants and communities in Moamba, demonstrating how a simple action can have a direct positive impact on biodiversity conservation and community well-being. With the renewal of this partnership, BCI and BIOFUND reinforce their commitment to environmental conservation, showing that the financial sector can be a strategic ally for the common good and that each citizen, through their everyday choices, can be part of this cause.