The announcement was made during Bridging the Nature Finance Gap event, held on the margins of the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia.

Jointly hosted by UNDP, UNESCO, UNCDF, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), and the Government of Flanders, the event highlighted the urgent need for sustained finance in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

‘Nature is our most vital asset, yet it remains chronically underfunded. Through the International Climate Initiative, Germany is pleased to support the Nature Investment Facility in helping unlock finance for the protection of some of the world’s most important landscapes. Working alongside our partners, we seek to demonstrate that safeguarding biodiversity and mobilizing investment are mutually reinforcing goals,’ said Carsten Schneider, Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), Federal Republic of Germany.

‘Protecting nature is essential for our shared prosperity and future. But no country, no institution, no sector can halt and reverse biodiversity loss alone. Governments, the United Nations, philanthropy and the private sector must bring their strengths together, backed by finance at scale. Germany’s contribution through the International Climate Initiative will act as a catalyst, unlocking additional public and private finance for nature and turning investment into action on the ground. At a time when multilateralism is being tested, what matters is delivery,’ said UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo.

“For conservation to succeed, it must be a viable economic choice for local communities. This crucial €15 million from Germany allows the Nature Investment Facility to replicate its success at scale. It enables UNDP and UNCDF to expand on models like the Tiger Landscapes Investment Facility in Asia, and this funding will be pivotal in launching our Africa Living Landscapes initiative, unlocking private capital for small businesses that are on the front lines of protecting our planet’s biodiversity,” said UNCDF Executive Secretary Pradeep Kurukulasuriya.

“Protecting biodiversity requires ambition matched by investment. Germany's contribution to the Nature Investment Facility is an important step towards closing the nature finance gap and supporting the communities that steward some of the world's most valuable ecosystems. This partnership demonstrates how multilateral cooperation can turn global commitments into tangible action for people, nature and future generations,” said Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO.

To help halt and reverse biodiversity loss in some of the world’s most important landscapes, UNDP, UNESCO and UNCDF are working together through the Nature Investment Facility (NIF), with support from the Governments of Germany and Flanders and Cartier Philanthropy for People and Nature.

Established in 2023, the Nature Investment Facility (NIF) brings together grant funding and private investment to mobilize finance for the conservation and restoration of critical landscapes. Through blended finance approaches, the Facility seeks to reduce investment risks and increase the flow of capital towards nature-positive enterprises.

The €15 million contribution from the Government of Germany will support the launch of NIF’s Africa Living Landscapes programme and scale up the Facility’s initial investment in the Tiger Landscapes Investment Facility. The two programmes will mobilize investment in nature-positive enterprises operating in critical biodiversity landscapes across Africa and South-East Asia, respectively.

About IKI

IKI is one of the key instruments of the German Federal Government to support international climate action and biodiversity. IKI supports solution strategies in developing and emerging countries that seek to achieve sustainable change.

About Cartier Philanthropy for People and Nature

Cartier Philanthropy for People and Nature is Cartier’s philanthropic foundation. Its mission is to help create the conditions for vulnerable communities and ecosystems to thrive.

About UNCDF

UNCDF mobilizes and catalyzes an increase in capital flows for impactful investments in high-risk markets, especially in Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and countries in special situations. By crowding in capital through the deployment of risk-absorbing financial instruments, mechanisms and structuring advisory, UNCDF contributes to job creation and sustained economic growth in more than 70 countries.

In partnership with UN entities and development partners, UNCDF operates with speed and agility to deliver scalable, blended finance solutions to drive systemic change and pave the way for commercial finance and scale up by development finance institutions and multilateral development banks.

About UNESCO

With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and bringing people together by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 53 countries and oversees more than 2260 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of over 1500 Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and more than 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions, with a global network of 200 National Commissions. Its Director-General is Khaled El-Enany.

“Since wars begin in the minds of people, it is in the minds of people that the defences of peace must be constructed” – UNESCO Constitution, 1945.

More information: https://www.unesco.org/en 

About UNDP

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. For more: UNDP.org

About the Nature Investment Facility

The Nature Investment Facility is a United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund established by UNDP, UNCDF and UNESCO. The Facility works to increase investment in the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of important landscapes by bringing together United Nations expertise, public and philanthropic resources and other sources of finance. 

More information: https://www.unesco.org/enhttps://www.undp.org/nature/our-flagship-initiatives/nature-investment-facility