UN flags $700 billion biodiversity finance shortfall, calls for systemic reform
UN report highlights staggering $700 billion annual gap in biodiversity funding and urges policy shifts to integrate nature and climate finance.
A United Nations expert report warns of an annual $700 billion shortfall in biodiversity conservation funding. Policies that better align nature and climate finance are urged to close the gap and meet global biodiversity goals.
What happened
The UN expert group’s report, part of the “Synergy Solutions 2025” series, notes that harmful subsidies totaling $7 trillion annually and externalities of $10–$25 trillion vastly outweigh conservation funding. It estimates an annual biodiversity financing gap of $700 billion and up to $359 billion for climate adaptation.
Why it matters
The funding shortfall undermines efforts to meet biodiversity and climate goals, impeding ecosystem services critical to human well‑being, such as pollination, water purification and climate regulation. Without swift reform to redirect harmful subsidies and mobilize finance, nature-based solutions may fall well short of potential.
Context
The $700 billion figure aligns with assessments by other institutions: for instance, the World Economic Forum estimates a similar global biodiversity funding shortfall.
What’s next
Closing the funding gap will require policy reforms to phase out harmful subsidies, integrate biodiversity into climate adaptation financing, and scale both public and private investment. Future UN summits and fiscal frameworks will need to reflect these shifts.
