Enviro News Asia, Nairobi — Global financial flows continue to overwhelmingly support activities that damage nature, far exceeding investments aimed at protecting and restoring ecosystems, according to a new report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The report, The State of Finance for Nature 2026, launched in Nairobi on 22 January 2026, finds that for every US$1 invested in nature protection, approximately US$30 is directed toward nature-negative activities. The assessment is based on global finance data from 2023.
UNEP estimates total nature-negative finance flows at US$7.3 trillion annually. Of this amount, US$4.9 trillion originates from private sources, largely concentrated in sectors such as utilities, energy, industrials, and basic materials. Public environmentally harmful subsidies contributed an additional US$2.4 trillion in 2023, particularly in fossil fuels, agriculture, water, transport, and construction.
In contrast, global finance for Nature-based Solutions (NbS) reached only US$220 billion, with nearly 90 percent provided by public sources. Private sector investment accounted for just US$23.4 billion, or around 10 percent of total NbS funding, indicating limited engagement from business and financial institutions.
The report states that annual NbS investments must increase 2.5 times to reach US$571 billion by 2030, representing only 0.5 percent of global GDP. UNEP emphasizes that scaling up NbS financing is essential to reducing climate, biodiversity, and economic risks.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said the findings highlight a clear choice for governments and markets between financing environmental degradation or supporting nature’s recovery. She stressed that redirecting capital flows is critical to building resilience and delivering long-term economic returns.
To support this transition, the report introduces the Nature Transition X-Curve, a framework designed to help policymakers and businesses phase out harmful subsidies and investments while simultaneously scaling up nature-positive and high-integrity NbS across economic sectors.
UNEP notes that successful implementation of nature-positive investments requires alignment with local ecological, social, and cultural contexts to ensure inclusivity and equitable outcomes. (*)
