The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative published an interview with Convention on Biological Diversity Executive Secretary Astrid Schomaker ahead of COP17 in Yerevan, positioning the conference as a key implementation checkpoint for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The interview argues that progress on public biodiversity finance has improved, with international biodiversity finance to developing countries appearing to be at or above the interim USD 20 billion a year milestone for 2025, but says private capital remains under-mobilized relative to the frameworkâs Target 19 goal of at least USD 200 billion a year by 2030. The discussion centers on the need to use public finance, policy signals and risk-sharing mechanisms to unlock private investment, especially in emerging markets and biodiversity-rich countries. On Target 18, which calls for reducing harmful incentives by at least USD 500 billion a year, Schomaker points to subsidy and tax reforms, positive incentives, procurement and regulation as the main policy levers. The interview says financial institutions should address portfolio exposure to ecosystem decline, support client transitions and back clearer disclosure rules, transition frameworks and subsidy reform. It also highlights business opportunities in sustainable agriculture and forestry, water resilience, circular economy infrastructure, restoration-linked supply chains, urban and coastal resilience, and transition finance through sustainability-linked lending, project finance and advisory, with insurers helping price and transfer environmental and transition risks. The interview also links biodiversity finance to gender inclusion, calling for financial products for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises and cooperatives, community-level blended finance, and greater support for women as leaders in investment and policy decisions. Finance Day at COP17 is scheduled for 26 October 2026 and is presented as a forum for financial institutions to take part in the core implementation debate rather than limit their role to side pledges.
United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative2026-07-07
United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative publishes COP17 interview on biodiversity finance targets and private capital mobilization
The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative published a COP17 interview that says public biodiversity finance has strengthened, but private capital still needs to scale materially to meet the Global Biodiversity Framework target of at least USD 200 billion a year by 2030. The interview calls for subsidy reform, clearer policy signals and risk-sharing tools, and says banks and insurers should help finance nature-positive and transition activities. It also points to Finance Day on 26 October 2026 as a key venue for embedding biodiversity in financial decision-making.