With COP 27 (climate conference) behind us, and COP 15 (UN biodiversity conference) ahead of us, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released its second Finance for Nature Report.
The report explores both the crisis of biodiversity loss around the world, but also, and more optimistically, the potential for finance to drive climate and land restoration goals to arrest the damage.
But it won’t be easy. Investments into nature-based solutions will need to accelerate to US$384billion per year by 2025, more than double the current flows of US$154 billion per year.
Private investments represent only 17% of current capital flows into nature-based solutions. There will need to be a huge increase in capital allocated to land regeneration and removing emissions, if we’re to slow the current rate of biodiversity loss. It’s suggested that governments can no longer bear full responsibility as public coffers are stretched.
The report also highlights the central role of marine ecosystems which represent over 70% of the earth’s surface, and absorb around 25% of all CO2 emissions. It’s one of the world’s largest carbon sinks.
“The science is undeniable. As we transition to net-zero emissions by 2050, we must also reorient all human activity to ease the pressure on the natural world on which we all depend” says Inger Anderson, Executive Director of UNEP.
“This requires governments, business and finance to massively step up investments in nature-based solutions because investments in nature are investments in securing the future for generations to follow.”
The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) is being held in Montreal, with hopes that a landmark agreement will be reached to reverse nature loss by 2030. And central to the deliberations will be mobilising capital to fund nature-based solutions.