A newly launched Global Tool and Finance Report, developed by the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI) and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), aims to scale investment in nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate-resilient infrastructure.
Nature-based solutions play a crucial role in climate adaptation by strengthening resilience mitigating climate impacts, and supporting biodiversity. A UNEP report highlights that NbS influence up to 79% of Sustainable Development Goal targets. However, funding remains insufficient, with UNEP estimating that global investment in NbS needs to nearly triple to $542 billion by 2030 to meet critical biodiversity and climate targets.
Finance Report: Unlocking Private Investment for NbS
The Finance Report, led by researchers Nicola Ranger and Dorian van Raalte, examines current nature finance trends and strategies to mobilize private investment for NbS adaptation. The report finds that most existing investments focus on commercially viable sectors such as agriculture and forestry, while adaptation-focused NbS such as green infrastructure struggle to attract funding due to challenges in monetizing social and biodiversity benefits. Key solutions include developing methods to quantify adaptation value and using blended finance mechanisms to reduce investment risks.
The newly developed Global Tool for NbS offers policymakers, investors and financial institutions data-driven insights to integrate NbS into infrastructure planning. Created in collaboration between Oxford and GCA the tool provides a global screening of NbS opportunity areas identifying regions where nature-based interventions can mitigate coastal flooding, river flooding, and landslide risks.
A critical metric used is the Baseline Expected Annual Damages (EAD) a measure of estimated financial losses from climate hazards. By assessing risk exposure and the potential benefits of NbS the tool helps decision-makers prioritize investments that enhance infrastructure resilience.
Launched at the ‘Scaling Investments in NbS for Climate Resilient Infrastructure’ consultation, the report and tool provide a strategic framework to scale funding for nature-based solutions ensuring that climate adaptation efforts align with financial and sustainability goals.