Biodiversity Finance needed now more than ever – a clear message emerges as largest ever gathering of governments and experts closes in Chile

New €11.5 million German contribution to UNDP-BIOFIN will support Ukraine’s inaugural Biodiversity Finance Plan and scale up global action

Santiago, Chile, 15 May 2025 - The Sixth Global Conference on Biodiversity Finance – with more than 130 countries represented - concluded with strong calls for urgency, innovation, and implementation at scale, to catalyze the resources countries need to protect fragile ecosystems. Held at the midpoint to the 2030 global biodiversity targets, the event marked significant progress: with 133 countries advancing their Biodiversity Finance Plans to help close the global biodiversity finance gap.

A major highlight from the opening day was the announcement of a €11.5 million contribution from the Government of Germany through BMUKN — the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection. The new funding will enable UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) to support Ukraine in preparing its first-ever Biodiversity Finance Plan and help other countries scale up nature-positive finance, providing new guidance on the most innovative mechanisms.

This contribution will also extend the BIOFIN programme through 2030, reinforcing global efforts to align finance with biodiversity goals at a critical moment for the planet.

The global conference convened over 300 delegates from more than 130 countries in Santiago, Chile. Held from 6 to 8 May 2025, this high-level platform organized by the UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) reflected on twelve years of progress and charted the way forward to 2030, with 92 new countries developing Biodiversity Finance Plans with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). A total of 133 countries are now working in developing and implementing finance solutions for nature.

Michelle Muschett, UNDP Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, set the tone with a message highlighting the role of biodiversity finance in shaping resilient and inclusive development across the region.

In a special video address, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO of the GEF, emphasized the need to accelerate funding efforts to meet global biodiversity targets by 2030. Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), echoed the call, urging countries to make good on the resource mobilization commitments of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Honorable Maisa Rojas, Minister of the Environment of Chile, officially opened the conference, welcoming delegates from over 100 countries and underscoring Chile’s leadership in climate and nature policy.

The Honorable Narend Singh, Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa, added a critical perspective from the Global South, underscoring the importance of international solidarity and national leadership to shift finance toward nature-positive outcomes.

In a mix of plenary dialogues, technical exchanges, and immersive field experiences, participants reaffirmed their shared commitment to close the global biodiversity finance gap and align finance with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). With 20 expert-led sessions and dozens of speakers - from ministers and mayors to private investors and community leaders - the conference celebrated biodiversity finance’s transition from a niche concern to a global priority.

Key Themes and Takeaways

1. Scaling and Systematizing Biodiversity Finance Plans (BFPs)

Countries shared lessons from implementing the BIOFIN methodology and developing their BFPs. Participants emphasized that plans must be dynamic and rooted in national realities. Tools like LSPM (Longlist, Screen, Prioritize, Manage risk) are helping countries refine finance solutions. Alignment with National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs) was a recurring theme.

A notable highlight was Ukraine's entry as the 133^rd country to join BIOFIN, signaling its determination to align its biodiversity finance with broader environmental and recovery efforts. The move was supported by the Government of Germany, a strategic long-term partner for UNDP’s BIOFIN.

2. Transitioning from Harmful Subsidies to Positive Incentives

Target 18 of the GBF fueled powerful discussions on subsidy reform. Country cases from Colombia and India illustrated both the complexity and opportunities of shifting from environmentally harmful subsidies to more sustainable models, such as direct support to farmers. Mapping existing subsidy landscapes is seen as a critical first step countries can undertake. Greening subsidies emerged as a promising entry point in multiple countries.  

3. Blended Finance and Innovative Mechanisms

As public budgets remain under pressure, blended finance is emerging as a key enabler. Instruments such as green and blue bonds, outcome-based financing, debt-for-nature swaps, and portfolio guarantees were explored.

One standout example came from Ecuador, where the national development bank CONAFIPS piloted green credits to support small businesses in sectors like renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and waste management. The initiative, designed with BIOFIN support, included a robust screening system to ensure eligibility. Its success led to the full disbursement of the initial US$108 million and a subsequent replenishment of the fund—demonstrating strong demand for sustainability-focused financial products.

4. Bioeconomy and Private Sector Engagement

From Costa Rica’s Bioeconomy Impact Accelerator to Nestlé’s supply chain initiatives, the conference spotlighted how private sector players are transitioning from corporate social responsibility to integrating nature into business risk and opportunity frameworks. Tailored finance tools are essential to engage companies of varying sizes and capacities.

5. Localizing Finance Solutions

“Can the future be local?” one session asked—and participants answered with a resounding yes. Yet challenges remain in empowering cities, local governments, and communities to generate and manage resources.

In Botswana, Hon. Minister Wynter Mmolotsi shared how BIOFIN supported efforts to scale community-based ecotourism and update protected area fee structures, generating over US$6.8 million for conservation. Public-private partnerships emerged as a particularly promising model for replication.

6. Gender Equality in Biodiversity Finance

Gender-responsive finance took center stage in sessions like “Win-Win-Win,” where initiatives such as Costa Rica’s Más Mujeres, Más Natura demonstrated that environmental outcomes and gender equality are mutually reinforcing. The inclusion of marginalized groups was recognized as both a moral and strategic imperative.

7. Marine and Ocean Finance

Oceans received dedicated attention through sessions on marine protected areas (MPAs), blue bonds, and sustainable tourism revenues. While public funding remains dominant, diversified tools such as crowdfunding, insurance, and BIOFIN’s collaboration with the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) are opening new avenues.

8. Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) and Digital Sequence Information (DSI)

With the Cali Fun announced at COP16 allocating fifty percent of DSI-related benefits to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, countries discussed integrating ABS into national BFPs. Examples from India and Norway showed the importance of clear legal frameworks and community-led benefit-sharing mechanisms.

9. Finance Sector Leadership

The finance sector’s growing role was highlighted as central to achieving biodiversity targets. Financial institutions are beginning to factor nature-related risks into their decision-making. The rise of biodiversity taxonomies, green finance strategies, and disclosure frameworks signals a paradigm shift in global finance.

In her address, Hon. Minister Maisa Rojas of Chile emphasized the interconnectedness of biodiversity finance with pollution control, climate, and livelihoods. She called for mobilizing stakeholders beyond the public sector, particularly in addressing urgent issues such as lake decontamination, wastewater treatment, and fish farm emissions—all of which will require significant investment and cross-sector coordination.

Three reports were launched during the conference, offering timely evidence and tools to guide financial actors in integrating nature into financial decision-making:

• Study on Nature-Related Financial Risks in Zambia – This pioneering analysis provides a national-level assessment of how biodiversity loss could impact Zambia’s financial sector, highlighting both risks and policy entry points.
• Biodiversity-related Risks and the Financial System: Evidence from Mexico – Based on research with Mexico’s financial institutions, this report examines the country’s exposure to biodiversity-related risks and suggests concrete measures for regulators, banks, and investors to respond proactively.
• How Insurance Can Address Nature-related Risks – Developed under the UNDP Insurance and Risk Finance Facility, this paper explores the potential of the insurance industry in managing biodiversity loss and supporting resilience across ecosystems and communities.

Next Steps

The conference concluded with a renewed call to action:

• Countries are encouraged to update their Biodiversity Finance Plans in line with the Global Biodiversity Framework and INFFs.
• BIOFIN will continue to support implementation, peer learning, and innovation across its 133-country network.
• Greater emphasis will be placed on scaling finance solutions that are inclusive, gender-responsive, climate-aligned, and results-driven.
• More funding will be needed to support all 133 countries in implementing the full Biodiversity Finance Plan.

With political will mounting, knowledge deepening, and solidarity strengthening, the global biodiversity finance community now marches toward 2030 with clarity, purpose, and hope.