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Program will support the conservation of 40 million hectares of landscape and seascape by 2030

Mastercard and Conservation International today announced the introduction of the Wildlife Impact Card program, which enables consumers to help protect wildlife habitats, including those that are home to many Critically Endangered species.

Across the world, habitat loss poses the greatest threat to wildlife, with 1 million animal and plant species now at risk of extinction. As more people increasingly express personal intent to help protect the environment and wildlife, the Wildlife Impact Card program offers consumers an opportunity to contribute to Conservation International’s efforts to conserve the habitats of many Critically Endangered species globally, including the Sunda Pangolin, African Forest Elephant, Peruvian Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkey and the Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur.

This program will help promote awareness of the urgent need to preserve the habitats of these and more than 2,000 other Critically Endangered Wildlife species, with card expiration dates that aim to highlight the short timeframe to help protect many of these animals.

The Wildlife Impact Card program is available to issuers globally. The first card offerings launch in the U.S. in partnership with Usio, with virtual prepaid cards available now that can be added to any mobile wallet. Physical cards made from 100% recycled materials will launch this summer.

For each card purchased, $1 will be donated to Conservation International to help protect and restore wildlife habitats, including priority areas equal to 40 million hectares of landscape and 4.5 million square kilometers of seascape globally by 2030. Consumers are also offered the opportunity to further support the cause by contributing to Conservation International through the Mastercard Donate platform.

“As a company committed to fostering a sustainable future for all, we believe an important aspect of that is to protect Critically Endangered species and the habitats in which they live,” said Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Mastercard. “Through our strong partnership with Conservation International, one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, we’ve created a way to connect consumers to their passion for wildlife and the natural world, enabling them to contribute and make an impact.”

Conservation International creates self-sustaining, scalable conservation models that can be adapted from one country to another by focusing on large ecological systems. From the rangelands of South Africa and beyond, Conservation International’s integrated “Sustainable Landscapes and Seascapes” approach is offering solutions for how humanity and nature can thrive, together.

“Every extinction is a tragedy — for the species, for nature and for people,” said Dr. M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International. “Wildlife are critical to securing benefits like cleaner water and more fertile soils. When we destroy animal habitats, we don’t just put these benefits at risk; we create entirely new challenges to our health and our ability to address climate change. Saving nature has always been about saving ourselves, which is why we are proud to partner with Mastercard to provide a simple way for consumers to take immediate action to help protect wildlife and their habitats.”

Mastercard continues to leverage the full scale of its business, technology and network of partners and cardholders to create products and services that inspire action towards a more sustainable future. In addition to the Wildlife Impact Card program, the company is partnering with Conservation International and World Resources Institute on the Priceless Planet Coalition. Uniting businesses and consumers in the restoration of 100 million trees, the Coalition invests in reforestation projects with the greatest potential for positive impacts on climate, community and biodiversity goals.

Additionally, Mastercard has pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050, building on existing commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions aligned with a 1.5-degrees Celsius climate trajectory. Mastercard also issued a $600 million sustainability bond and recently announced changes to its executive compensation model to help accelerate progress around three global ESG goals: carbon neutrality, financial inclusion and gender pay parity. This is all part of its goal of building a more inclusive and sustainable digital economy – where both people and the planet can thrive.