Currently, almost half of the world’s GDP relies on services that are provided by nature. However, there is a significant financing gap in biodiversity conservation around the globe. In order to overcome these challenges and facilitate sustainable, innovative, and inclusive green growth, fully tap the potential of financial sector, and enhance capital participation and take biodiversity conservation actions, the Partnership of Biodiversity and Finance (PBF) has been established to support the close collaboration between biodiversity conservation group and the financing institutions (FIs), in particular, in helping to address urgent biodiversity challenges and help to close the considerable action and financing gaps. In October 2021, the PBF launched the Global Joint Statement as an echo of the CBD COP 15 Part 1 in Kunming, China, calling for the multi-stakeholder’s coordinated goals and direction of all stakeholders. As an important follow up, the PBF members are jointly developing the action plan for next three years (2023-2025), dedicating on an ambitious yet efficient "Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)".

Meanwhile, the second part of the 15th conference (COP15-2) of parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is going to be held in Montreal, Canada in December 2022. During the COP15-2, all stakeholders will be discussing the GBF and related implementations. At this opportunity, the PBF will hold an event on the theme of "Invest in Nature" and to release the Position Statement, the Action Plan of the PBF and the Blue Paper on Biodiversity and Finance. Those will serve as solid foundation to the GBF as well as to the COP15-2 and the international communities formally.

Additional resources:

 

Agenda:

Opening Remark

  • Chair: Li Fang, China Country Director, World Resources Institute (WRI)
  • Camille Maclet, Special Representative of Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
  • Additional speakers to be confirmed

Panel 1: Mobilizing more finance resources to invest in nature

  • Moderator: Craig Hanson, Managing Director and Vice President, World Resources Institute (WRI), Representative of the PBF
  • Lesley Bearman Lahm, Representative, North American Representative Office, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
  • Alberto Ninio, General Counsel, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
  • Nabil Moura Kadri, Head of Department Environmental and Amazon Fund, Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES)
  • Adonai Herrera-Martínez, Director, Environment and Sustainability, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

  • Jahan-Zeb Chowdhury, Global Lead for Environment and Climate, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

  • Rose Niu, Chief Conservation Officer, Paulson Institute (PI)
  • Bas Ruter, Global Head Food System Transition, Rabobank

Panel 2 Enhancing incentives policies and technical tools to invest in nature

  • Moderator: Scott Vaughan, Chief Advisor, China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED)
  • Zak Smith, Senior Attorney & Director, Global Biodiversity Conservation, Nature Program, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
  • Sophie Persey, Senior Programme Manager, Rainforest Alliance (RA)
  • Bowen Zhang, Deputy Secretary-General, Society of Entrepreneurs & Ecology (SEE)
  • Onno van den Heuvel, Global Manager, United Nations Development Programme Biodiversity Finance Initiative (UNDP BIOFIN)
  • Ivo Mulder, Head of Climate Finance Unit, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • Brian O'Donnell, Director of the Campaign for Nature, National Geographic Society (NGS)
  • Akanksha Khatri, Head, Nature and Biodiversity, World Economic Forum (WEF)

Special Comments

  • Hongpeng Lei, Regional Director, East and Southeast Asia and China Chief Representative, Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)

Closing Remark

  • Li Fang, China Country Director, World Resources Institute (WRI)