RECOGNITIONS
Shortlisted for the Iris Prize 2024 – Recognizing Youth Innovation for Climate and Community Resilience
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In 2024, Peatlands for the Future—our flagship initiative at The Ecosystem Carbon Conservation (TECC)—was honored to be shortlisted for the Iris Prize, a prestigious annual award celebrating the vision and impact of young environmental leaders across the Global South.
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Organized by the Iris Project, the prize highlights initiatives that combine innovation, local leadership, and bold solutions to address the climate crisis and biodiversity loss in the world’s most vulnerable regions. Rather than just funding ideas, the Iris Prize equips young changemakers with the resources, tools, and networks needed to scale their impact.
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Selected among a competitive international cohort, Peatlands for the Future was recognized for its work in restoring and conserving overlooked Andean peatland ecosystems in Colombia. The project merges rigorous science with traditional knowledge, empowering local communities to lead ecological restoration and sustainable management in high-altitude wetlands—ecosystems that are critical for carbon storage, water regulation, and biodiversity.
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Being shortlisted for the Iris Prize affirmed the relevance of our approach: one that is youth-led, community-centered, and deeply rooted in science, driving local actions that contribute to global climate solutions.
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This recognition further strengthens TECC’s commitment to building a sustainable and inclusive future for Colombia’s peatlands and the communities that depend on them.
TECC Recognized as a YECO 2024 Semifinalist – Empowering Youth Ecopreneurs for Global Land Restoration
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In 2024, The Ecosystem Carbon Conservation (TECC) was selected as a semifinalist in the Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO), the flagship accelerator for youth-led green enterprises organized by the G20 Global Land Initiative and the International Trade Centre (ITC).
YECO identifies and supports young ecopreneurs who are pioneering scalable solutions for land restoration, biodiversity protection, and climate resilience through innovative business models. The programme combines technical training, international visibility, and investor networking to elevate youth-led ventures that are redefining sustainable development.
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As a semifinalist, TECC was chosen to join the YECO Accelerator, where we:
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Completed a 360-degree business assessment and received tailored coaching and pitch training.
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Participated in the Global Bootcamp, gaining critical knowledge on investment readiness, legal frameworks, and IP protection, supported by global experts and the Ye! Community.
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Engaged with a dynamic international network of young changemakers building nature-positive solutions across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
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Showcased Peatlands for the Future—our science-driven, community-powered initiative to restore high-mountain peatlands in Colombia—as a nature-based business with the potential to transform climate, water, and biodiversity outcomes in the Andes.
Being part of YECO 2024 gave TECC global exposure at COP16 through pitch events at the Restoration Pavilion and opened doors for future investment, collaboration, and policy engagement.
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This recognition strengthened our belief that youth entrepreneurship is essential to restoring degraded lands and building equitable, low-carbon economies—from the páramos of Colombia to landscapes around the world.
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Link: https://social.yecommunity.com/page/yeco-2024-participants
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TECC Shortlisted for the Lush Spring Prize 2025 – Honoring Regeneration, Equity, and Ecosystem Restoration
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In 2025, the Ecosystem Carbon Conservation (TECC) was honored to be shortlisted for the Lush Spring Prize, a global biennial award that celebrates and supports the regeneration movement through funding, visibility, and community-building. The prize recognizes those reimagining our relationship with nature and each other—restoring ecosystems, strengthening solidarity, and nurturing resilience in the face of planetary crises.
Selected among over a hundred inspiring initiatives worldwide, TECC was recognized for our innovative work restoring and conserving high-mountain peatlands in Colombia, a vital yet neglected ecosystem in the global climate and biodiversity agendas.
Through our flagship initiative, Peatlands for the Future, we:
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Restore degraded peatlands in the Páramo Almorzadero, one of Colombia’s most strategic high-altitude ecosystems.
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Promote equitable conservation by centering community participation, decolonizing science, and fostering intergenerational learning.
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Develop training programs in sustainable land management, empowering rural communities as active agents of restoration.
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Advance nature-based solutions that address carbon mitigation, water regulation, and biodiversity loss simultaneously.
Being shortlisted for the Lush Spring Prize is a recognition of the transformative power of our approach where science, social justice, and ecological regeneration converge to build a future in harmony with people and planet.
We are proud to stand alongside a global network of changemakers bringing life back to the land.
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LInk: https://springprize.org/shortlisted/the-ecosystem-carbon-conservation/
