In this episode of Financing Nature in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme for COP15 in Montréal, we speak to those on the ground to hear why they have come, what they are hoping for from the negotiations on the crucial Global Biodiversity Framework, and their own work in halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. Topics cover the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and data; financial sector engagement; business engagement and the role of...

In this special episode at the start of COP15 in Montreal in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme, guests Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary, and David Ainsworth, Information Officer, at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity join the Green Finance Institute's Helen Avery. Together they share what we need to see over the 12 days of the Conference including within the Global Biodiversity Framework and its targets, commitments to reduce harmful subsidies, and greater...

In this final episode of our COP27 Special Series with the United Nations Environment Programme, we are joined from UNEP's Ecosystems Division by Susan Gardner, Head of the Ecosystems Division and Ivo Mulder, Head of the  Climate Finance Unit. Susan and Ivo wrap up the series by sharing what they hope to see happen at COP27 and the actions we collectively need to take to ensure that nature restoration and nature-based solutions receive the investment they urgently require. 

Over 70% of the planet's surface is cover with water, yet when it comes to protecting and restoring oceans health, finance is sorely missing. Indeed, only 0.01% of all climate finance is invested into marine and coastal nature based solutions. In this fourth episode of the Financing Nature COP27 Special Series with UNEP, Karen Sack, executive director at the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance, and Yabanex Batista, Deputy Head of the UN's Global Team for the Global Coral Reef Fund,...

Africa, host to COP27, is also host to 30% of the world's biodiversity. It is also a continent on an accelerated economic growth trajectory. This episode, guests Kaddu Sebunya, CEO, African Wildlife Foundation and David Cheboryot, Director of Entrepreneurship Centres – Africa - E4Impact Foundation share how economic growth, community development and conservation can go hand in hand, and how private finance and the private sector can play their role. Finally, the guests discuss their hopes for...

In our second episode of Financing Nature's special series with UNEP, Andrew Deutz, Director of Global Policy, Institutions and Conservation Finance at The Nature Conservancy shares the need to mobilise government and development bank aid into nature restoration projects, and the role of guarantees and insurance, and Yasmine Sagita, Chief of People, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs at rubber company, PT Royal Lestari Utama (RLU) discusses the Tropical Landscape Finance Facility (TLFF)...

In this first episode of Financing Nature's COP27 Special Series from the Green Finance Institute and United Nations Environment Programme, we explore how the finance sector can reduce deforestation and finance reforestation, and frame up what we need from global leaders at COP27. Helen Avery speaks with Champions Finance Lead, Sagarika Chatterjee, about the work of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) and global commitments and solutions, and José Pugas, head of responsible...

On October 5th, The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Green Finance Institute (GFI) will launch a five-episode special series of Financing Nature in the lead up to COP27. Each episode will showcase a project on the ground in the Global South, and interviews with leading figures in the world of finance and nature to discuss what we need from our global governments in Egypt this November.  

The Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) is a new co-operative for UK farmers - led by farmers - that collectively trades natural capital. It is already securing trades for phosphate reduction and employs an equalisation model so that farmers of all sizes in the co-operative benefit, and to ensure that landscape scale environmental improvements are being made. Chris Sparrow, Co-Founder Director of EFG, joins us this week to walk through the model and why it's gaining increasing attraction from...

In this episode, Margaret Kuhlow, Global Finance Lead at WWF International, walks us through several of the organisation's bankable nature solutions including project finance for permanence, as well as sharing hopes and concerns for COP27 and COP15. 

This week Emily McKenzie joins us to share more about the inner workings of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures and the challenges of shifting financial flows to nature positive. The TNFD is delivering a risk management and disclosure framework for organisations to report and act on evolving nature-related risks which be launching in 2023. 

The Landscape Resilience Fund was designed by South Pole and WWF to lend to and invest in SMEs in emerging markets that are tackling climate adaptation. Urs Dieterich, managing director of the Fund, shares how climate adaptation and conservation go hand in hand, the similarities between financing both, and more about the Fund and its initial investment. 

What kind of standards, codes and governance structures are needed for investors to have confidence in buying carbon credits? In the UK, many carbon codes are under development to allow for the sale of credits from nature restoration. Professor Mark Reed has been a leading voice in the role of governance, as well as being the architect of the Peatland Carbon Code and involved in the development of other codes across the UK. In this episode, he shares his thinking on the next steps around...

Australia has been a pioneer in the development of a market for soil carbon, among other carbon markets in the the land sector. In this episode, Louisa Kiely, Director at Carbon Farmers of Australia, talks us through how the market is evolving. 

Natural Asset Companies, or NACs, are the creation of Intrinsic Exchange Group (IEG). They offer a new asset class to investors seeking nature positive opportunities - publicly listed companies dedicated to the restoration and preservation of nature, and with values based on natural assets. In this episode, Douglas Eger, founder of IEG walks us through how they work, and when we can expect the first listing. 

In 2016, ASN Bank set itself a target to become a nature net-positive bank by 2030. That commitment led the bank to measure the biodiversity impact of its loan portfolio and investments, and, more recently, for ASN Impact Investors to establish the first listed fund for nature investments for the retail sector. Roel Nozeman, who leads the bank's biodiversity work, in addition to being the programme chair of the Partnership for Biodiversity Accounting Financials, shares more about work of the...

How can private equity investments in early stage technology firms support large-scale land restoration projects? And, what do investors in each look for? In this episode, Anne-Laurence Roucher, Deputy CEO of Mirova, shares her firm's approach to natural capital in both land and marine restoration and through private equity investments, as well as touching on the barriers and solutions to driving greater private capital into nature. 

The Taskforce on Nature Markets launched at the end of March. In this episode, co-chairs of the Secretariat, Simon Zadek and Marcelo Furtado of Finance for Biodiversity, share about the Taskforce's ambitions, and its work to embed "nature positive and equitable impact" across global markets. 

The Scottish National Investment Bank was set up at the end of 2020 to provide debt and equity investment to businesses in Scotland that support net zero, innovation and equality. Natural capital features high on its agenda, and chair of the Bank, Willie Watt, shares his insights on nature-related investment opportunities in Scotland and the Bank's strategy. 

Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is revolutionising the way companies can measure their impact on nature. Katie Critchlow, CEO of NatureMetrics that has brought eDNA into the mainstream, shares the work her firm are doing in supporting the move to nature positive, and creating investment opportunities in nature restoration. Katie also shares her insights into the role of data and technology in supporting the broader mission of financing nature.

How do eNGOs begin to adopt commercial finance in order to pay for conservation or restoration aims? Gwyn Williams, head of conservation investment, shares the experience of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) as the charity has expanded to debt and equity finance, in addition to exploring forms of private finance - such as peatland carbon credits or biodiversity net gain - in order to meet conservation demands. 

The social impact investment market in the UK has grown to almost £10billion. What can we learn from its development and apply to the emerging nature investment space? Richard Speak, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Finance Earth and Managing Director of Finance for Sustainability, shares his experience from working in both social finance and nature finance, and highlights the key building blocks that helped the growth in social impact investment market that could be replicated to boost...