Today, an important step towards collective ambition to scale financing for biodiversity has been taken in Vancouver. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) commends the Global Environment Facility for the swift creation of a dedicated financing mechanism for worldwide nature conservation, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. 

The new Fund is a critical component in the effort to expand conservation and restoration in the context of the SDG agenda at the required scale. UNDP calls on governments, philanthropic organizations, and private sector to capitalize the Fund. The global community has a stake for this fund to succeed.  

UNDP also welcomes the Fund’s strong emphasis on supporting actions by indigenous people, women and local communities, recognizing their critical role in implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework.

As part of efforts to place nature at the very heart of economic and development thinking and doing, UNDP will support countries to accelerate three transformational shifts:  

1. Resetting the narratives and behaviors that determine how we value nature;  
2. Systemic economic shifts to flows of finance from nature-negative to nature-positive outcomes; and,  
3. Ensuring that nature-based solutions feature prominently in inclusive and sustainable development policies. 

“For three decades, UNDP has been a proud partner of the Global Environment Facility and community of environmental action that it has fostered in every corner of the globe,” said UNDP Administrator, Achim Steiner. “Through the bold UNDP Nature Pledge, we are supporting over 140 countries to reach their ambitious targets under the historic Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework while connecting the dots between people, nature, livelihoods, sustainable development, and human rights.” 

“The new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund will be critical for delivering on the goals and targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework. It now needs contributions from both public and private sources to set off a chain reaction of new, momentous action on ecosystems and biodiversity so that all countries and communities can play their part in restoring the delicate equilibrium between people and our natural world. There is no possibility of sustainable development without functioning ecosystems.”