YEREVAN, 26 October 2026 — The Netherlands announced more than US$340,000 (€309,000) in finance for UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) on Monday, strengthening efforts in 138 countries to unlock financing for nature.

The contribution, by the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature
(LVVN), was announced at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17) in Yerevan, where governments are discussing progress on global biodiversity goals and how to finance the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems.

“Investing in nature is investing in the foundations of economic growth and resilience. The Netherlands’ contribution will help countries put their own biodiversity priorities into action, using development assistance as seed capital to unlock larger, sustained flows of finance. We welcome this support and the opportunity to build financing systems that deliver for nature and people long after the initial investment,” said Onno van den Heuvel, UNDP Global Lead for Nature Finance.

The contribution builds on UNDP-BIOFIN’s “finance for finance” model – using development assistance as catalytic funding to help countries establish the policies, institutions and financing mechanisms that unlock larger, sustained flows of funding for nature.

This can include strengthening protected-area revenues, integrating biodiversity into public budgets, aligning lending with biodiversity priorities and creating incentives for conservation and sustainable use.

Since 2018, UNDP-BIOFIN has helped 41 countries unlock US$3.5 billion in nature finance. The work has, since 2019, seen a return US$50 in biodiversity finance for every US$1 invested in the finance solutions that countries developed and implemented nationally, showing how targeted support can generate financial results beyond the initial contribution.

The Netherlands’ support comes as UNDP-BIOFIN advances its ambition to unlock US$30 billion for nature by 2035. Its new Finance for Finance Compendium presents investment opportunities drawn from nationally developed, owned and implemented Biodiversity Finance Plans, inviting partners to support practical solutions that mobilize additional resources and align existing financial flows with biodiversity priorities.

The Netherlands joins UNDP-BIOFIN’s donor partners, including the European Union, the Global Environment Facility and the governments of Belgium, Canada, Flanders, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Their support helps countries turn national biodiversity priorities into practical finance solutions that mobilize resources and sustain investment in nature.

About UNDP-BIOFIN

UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative supports 138 countries to develop and implement Biodiversity Finance Plans. Working with governments and partners, BIOFIN helps countries assess biodiversity expenditure and financing needs, identify suitable finance solutions and put them into practice. Its work supports delivery of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by mobilizing resources, improving the effectiveness of spending and aligning public and private finance with nature.

Media contact: Mahtab Haider, BIOFIN Global Communications Lead, UNDP, Mahtab.haider@undp.org