When a mangrove forest is restored, it doesn’t just shelter biodiversity. It locks away carbon, shields coastlines from storms, and supports the livelihoods of nearby communities. Yet in most countries, these benefits are divided across three separate national plans: one for biodiversity, one for climate, and one for land. Bringing them together offers not only efficiency, but the chance to multiply impact across all three global goals.

Biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation are deeply interwoven. Healthy ecosystems store carbon, regulate water, and sustain communities, while degraded ones amplify vulnerability to droughts, floods, and food insecurity. The cross-cutting reality of climate, biodiversity and land means pursuing any of these global goals in isolation is less efficient and less effective. Aligning action across the three Rio Conventions — on biodiversity (CBD), climate (UNFCCC), and land degradation (UNCCD) — has become essential to deliver lasting transformation for people and the planet.

Nature-climate-land “synergies” refer to the operational linkages among global frameworks and their national instruments:

• National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• Land Degradation Neutrality targets (LDNs) under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Connecting these plans can turn global ambitions under the three Rio Conventions into coherent, strategic, and mutually reinforcing national action.

When countries update or implement their NBSAPs, NDCs, and LDN targets, the ambition is high, but so are the obstacles: fragmented institutions, lack of aligned finance, separate data and reporting systems, capacity shortages, and limited integration of local stakeholders. Synergies provide a way through. They open the door to more efficient, coherent, and higher-impact action across nature, climate and land. They help avoid duplication, reduce trade-offs, mobilise more integrated finance, and yield multiple returns for people, nature and economy. These findings echo insights from the global report Synergies between Climate and Biodiversity Action, which underscored the efficiency gains and multiple co-benefits of joint implementation

What alignment looks like in practice:

• For biodiversity (NBSAPs): Linking species and habitat conservation to climate and land goals helps elevate biodiversity in national development agendas and attract diverse sources of financing, including for nature-based solutions.
• For climate (NDCs): Integrating restoration and biodiversity actions enhances resilience, captures more carbon, and supports livelihoods.
• For land (LDN): Restoration of degraded landscapes (a UNCCD core area) is one of the most synergy-rich entry points, delivering biodiversity recovery, carbon sequestration, and sustainable livelihoods.
• For monitoring and finance: Aligned indicators and data reduce reporting burdens, reveal shared progress, and open doors to blended finance that targets multiple objectives.

Across the Rio Conventions, this integrated approach is now widely recognised. The UNFCCC COP28 Global Stocktake recognised the interdependence of climate, biodiversity and land systems and its Joint Statement on Climate, Nature and People urged governments to integrate planning for biodiversity, climate and land restoration. CBD COP16 Decision 16/22 called for integrated implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework and stronger collaboration across the Conventions. The UNCCD’s Strategic Framework 2018-2030 promotes coordination with other multilateral environmental agreements and UNEA-6 (United Nations Environment Assembly Resolution on Synergies) promotes coordinated implementation and reporting.

Together, these mandates mark a shift from working in isolation toward alignment.

While the concept of synergies is neither new nor unwanted, translating it into practice is not straightforward. It requires mapping overlaps, such as where biodiversity and high-value landscapes also store carbon or where degraded lands offer opportunities for restoration that serve both climate, biodiversity, and community goals. After assessment, it requires designing mechanisms for implementation that consider multiple frameworks, needs, and objectives, and reporting on those actions across various teams, ministries, and sectors.

The challenge is not a lack of synergy; it’s a lack of coordination, capacity, and mechanisms to make that coordination happen. That’s where initiatives like the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership can help. Rather than introducing new layers of planning or project implementation, the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership helps connect what already exists. It links biodiversity, climate, and land actions in ways that accelerate implementation and attract integrated finance. Its ability to do this comes through its MatchMaking Mechanism and Facilitator Programme, two services designed to address gaps and maximise synergies.

At its recent in-person Steering Committee meeting, the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership established a new mandate to respond more proactively to country requests that integrate biodiversity, land-use, and climate targets. The mandate reinforces its commitment to support countries in aligning updated NBSAPs with their NDCs, and LDN targets and embeds the priority into the heart of its operational framework.

The MatchMaking Mechanism (MMM) is a practical bridge between national demand for synergy-actions and global supply of technical/finance/capacity support that can make those actions happen. Instead of building new systems, the MMM supports countries to link existing priorities in their NBSAPs, NDCs, and LDN targets to available expertise, technology, and finance. It’s a space where governments and partners can meet around shared goals.

1. Countries members submit requests for support to implement national targets or key elements of their NBSAP. For example, to implement a biodiversity target that also advances climate adaptation.
2. The request is shared with a network of technical and financial partners.
3. Interested partners respond, outlining how they can support.
4. The country selects and collaborates with the most relevant partner(s). It’s a match!

This simple exchange can accelerate complex projects that might otherwise take years to coordinate.

The MMM is a platform countries members can use to jump-start high-impact synergy actions rather than working in silos. Common synergy requests are:

• Restoration of degraded ecosystems: Rehabilitating degraded ecosystems, such as mangroves, to meet biodiversity and climate targets while protecting coastal communities.
• Economic valuation of nature: Quantifying ecosystem services to strengthen the business case for integrated biodiversity and climate action.
• Spatial data integration: Linking biodiversity, carbon, and land maps to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Sustainable agroforestry value chains: Connecting climate-resilient agriculture and land management with biodiversity conservation.
• Monitoring and reporting: Facilitating Rio Convention reports.

Another pillar of the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, the Facilitator Programme is designed to ensure that national ambition translates into action. Facilitators act as national or regional facilitators, helping to embed biodiversity action processes, connect focal points, build capacity, and coordinate across biodiversity, climate, and land agendas. They don’t replace existing structures; they support them in working better and in greater alignment.

Concretely, facilitators support:

• Coordination across governments: Many countries have separate focal points for biodiversity (CBD), climate (UNFCCC) and land (UNCCD). Facilitators can help bring them together, bridging institutional silos.
• Link national priorities to opportunities: Facilitator may help prepare and submit synergy-focused requests to the MatchMaking Mechanism, ensuring they are well-formulated and aligned with national priorities.
• Implementation follow-through: Once a match is made, facilitators may work with national and local actors to embed the support within national structures and align reporting systems, capacity-building, and community participation.
• Championing whole-of-government and whole-of-society actions: Facilitators can help shift the NBSAP process from an environmental ministry-only approach to a more integrated approach that includes national government, local government, the private sector, civil society, and communities through working closely with the NDC Partnerships Facilitators, BioFin Coordinators and others working in this space.

In October 2025, the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership hosted a dedicated training for the  Facilitator Network on nature–climate-land synergies, building capacity to identify alignment opportunities between NBSAPs, NDCs, and LDN targets. The training strengthened Facilitators’ ability to support countries in translating global commitments into integrated, actionable steps on the ground.

The path forward will depend on collaboration across ministries, sectors, and communities, and on strengthening the very systems that make these connections possible. By embedding coordination and shared purpose into national planning, countries can accelerate progress toward a future where biodiversity, climate, and land thrive together.

Explore how your country can engage with the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership’s MatchMaking Mechanism and Facilitator Programme.