INVESTING IN NATURE - FINANCING BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Blended Finance Taskforce have developed a new guide which provides developers of conservation and nature-based adaptation projects with an overview of the financing basics, potential financial models as well as practical examples of conservation/adaptation projects and their financial models and legal structures.

Halting the loss of biodiversity and adapting to climate change requires increasing investment in natural capital so the EIB and the European Commission have partnered to create the Natural Capital Financing Facility (NCFF), a financial instrument that supports projects delivering on biodiversity and climate adaptation through tailored loans and investments. Projects financed through the NCFF need to generate revenues or demonstrate cost savings.

The EIB recently signed a €5 million loan with CDC Biodiversité, the subsidiary of the French national promotional bank Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, to support biodiversity compensation services.
This is the first project of this kind in France, and it is backed by a guarantee from the NCFF. More than €400 million of new nature conservation investment is expected to be supported by the €125 million NCFF by 2021.

The NCFF is accepting project proposals until the end of 2021. If you have a project that contributes to promoting the EU’s biodiversity or uses a nature-based solution to adapt to climate change, then please contact [email protected].