Home / Recent news / Reflections after the closing of the 6th Global BIOFIN Conference: Advancing biodiversity finance
Reflections after the closing of the 6th Global BIOFIN Conference: Advancing biodiversity finance
Home / Recent news / Reflections after the closing of the 6th Global BIOFIN Conference: Advancing biodiversity finance
Reflections after the closing of the 6th Global BIOFIN Conference: Advancing biodiversity finance
The 6th Global BIOFIN Conference in Santiago, Chile, marked a significant milestone in the global efforts to secure sustainable financing for biodiversity. The event brought together over 130 countries, signaling a unified commitment to advancing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and addressing the urgent need for the implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Plans (NBSAPs).
In her closing remarks, Elke Steinmetz, Head of the Division for International Cooperation on Biodiversity at Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUV), emphasized the important role of biodiversity finance. She highlighted that finance for biodiversity is transitioning from the margins to the center of national policies and development plans, underscoring its importance as a political and socio-economic imperative.
Germany, together with Colombia, serve as co-chairs to the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership (NBSAP AP), an initiative that supports countries in accessing financial and technical resources, as well as in-country facilitation to accelerate their biodiversity strategies.
Ms. Steinmetz also referenced the BMUV’s continued leadership in supporting biodiversity finance. The ministry’s recent investment in the BIOFIN Initiative, which includes a contribution of €11.5 million, will support the implementation of biodiversity finance plans across 13 partner countries, including Ukraine, marking a significant step in the global effort to scale up biodiversity financing.
A central theme of the conference was the necessity to mainstream biodiversity governance across all sectors. Integrating biodiversity into fiscal policy, public investment strategies, and blended finance frameworks emerged as a priority. This approach requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, where all sectors collaborate to ensure that nature is considered in every aspect of governance and development.
Ms. Steinmetz highlighted the establishment of the NBSAP Accelerator Action Account (AAA), a Multi-Partner Trust Fund designed to complement the work of the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership by unlocking last-resort funding for high-priority biodiversity actions that are not covered through the partnership’s Matchmaking Mechanism (MMM). The Accelerator Action Account helps maximize the delivery of technical support and ensure the fulfillment of member country requests, particularly those that are difficult to support through existing resources.
Despite the progress, challenges remain in bridging the gap between ambition and implementation. While tools and plans are available, countries require sustained support to turn strategies into tangible results. This includes better access to technical assistance, data, and, most crucially, finance. The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, in collaboration with BIOFIN, plays an important role in this regard.
A coordinated and joint effort between both initiatives is essential to advancing the implementation of biodiversity finance plans and, ultimately, the NBSAPs. This collaboration enables countries to benefit from services like the MatchMaking Mechanism, helping them achieve their targets in line with the commitments of the GBF. This integrated approach facilitates the mobilization of resources and the technical support needed to drive concrete biodiversity actions at the national level.
The conference also highlighted the importance of blended finance in scaling biodiversity initiatives. However, scaling blended finance for biodiversity requires more than just capital. It demands trust, innovation, and clearer pathways for risk-sharing and return. The discussions underscored the need for a supportive ecosystem that includes regulatory clarity and enabling environments for investment.
Furthermore, Ms. Steinmetz reaffirmed that local leadership and community ownership are at the heart of biodiversity finance. She emphasized that solutions must be people-centered and adapted to local realities, aligning with the GBF’s emphasis on the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in decision-making, governance, and the implementation of conservation projects.
Looking ahead to 2030, the reflections from the conference make it clear that financing biodiversity is not only an ecological imperative but also a vital investment for the future of our economies, climate goals, and human well-being. The collaboration between the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership and BIOFIN is key for identifying and mobilizing resources for NBSAPs implementation.
The 6th Global BIOFIN Conference in Santiago, Chile, marked a significant milestone in the global efforts to secure sustainable financing for biodiversity. The event brought together over 130 countries, signaling a unified commitment to advancing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and addressing the urgent need for the implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Plans (NBSAPs).
In her closing remarks, Elke Steinmetz, Head of the Division for International Cooperation on Biodiversity at Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUV), emphasized the important role of biodiversity finance. She highlighted that finance for biodiversity is transitioning from the margins to the center of national policies and development plans, underscoring its importance as a political and socio-economic imperative.
Germany, together with Colombia, serve as co-chairs to the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership (NBSAP AP), an initiative that supports countries in accessing financial and technical resources, as well as in-country facilitation to accelerate their biodiversity strategies.
Ms. Steinmetz also referenced the BMUV’s continued leadership in supporting biodiversity finance. The ministry’s recent investment in the BIOFIN Initiative, which includes a contribution of €11.5 million, will support the implementation of biodiversity finance plans across 13 partner countries, including Ukraine, marking a significant step in the global effort to scale up biodiversity financing.
A central theme of the conference was the necessity to mainstream biodiversity governance across all sectors. Integrating biodiversity into fiscal policy, public investment strategies, and blended finance frameworks emerged as a priority. This approach requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, where all sectors collaborate to ensure that nature is considered in every aspect of governance and development.
Ms. Steinmetz highlighted the establishment of the NBSAP Accelerator Action Account (AAA), a Multi-Partner Trust Fund designed to complement the work of the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership by unlocking last-resort funding for high-priority biodiversity actions that are not covered through the partnership’s Matchmaking Mechanism (MMM). The Accelerator Action Account helps maximize the delivery of technical support and ensure the fulfillment of member country requests, particularly those that are difficult to support through existing resources.
Despite the progress, challenges remain in bridging the gap between ambition and implementation. While tools and plans are available, countries require sustained support to turn strategies into tangible results. This includes better access to technical assistance, data, and, most crucially, finance. The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, in collaboration with BIOFIN, plays an important role in this regard.
A coordinated and joint effort between both initiatives is essential to advancing the implementation of biodiversity finance plans and, ultimately, the NBSAPs. This collaboration enables countries to benefit from services like the MatchMaking Mechanism, helping them achieve their targets in line with the commitments of the GBF. This integrated approach facilitates the mobilization of resources and the technical support needed to drive concrete biodiversity actions at the national level.
The conference also highlighted the importance of blended finance in scaling biodiversity initiatives. However, scaling blended finance for biodiversity requires more than just capital. It demands trust, innovation, and clearer pathways for risk-sharing and return. The discussions underscored the need for a supportive ecosystem that includes regulatory clarity and enabling environments for investment.
Furthermore, Ms. Steinmetz reaffirmed that local leadership and community ownership are at the heart of biodiversity finance. She emphasized that solutions must be people-centered and adapted to local realities, aligning with the GBF’s emphasis on the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in decision-making, governance, and the implementation of conservation projects.
Looking ahead to 2030, the reflections from the conference make it clear that financing biodiversity is not only an ecological imperative but also a vital investment for the future of our economies, climate goals, and human well-being. The collaboration between the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership and BIOFIN is key for identifying and mobilizing resources for NBSAPs implementation.
The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership is a country-led initiative that supports the implementation of NBSAPs to collectively achieve the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It is co-chaired by Colombia and Germany, supported by the governments of Germany, Norway, Canada and France, and coordinated by a Global Coordination Unit hosted by the Secretariat of the CBD, UNDP and UNEP.
The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership is a country-led initiative that supports the implementation of NBSAPs to collectively achieve the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It is co-chaired by Colombia and Germany, supported by the governments of Germany, Norway, Canada and France, and coordinated by a Global Coordination Unit hosted by the Secretariat of the CBD, UNDP and UNEP.
