Achieving the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) will require an increase in financial resources from all sources, including public, private, and philanthropic finance. While governments continue to play a central role in financing biodiversity conservation and restoration, there is growing recognition that additional innovative approaches will be needed to help close the global biodiversity finance gap. 

This high-level side event will contribute to the action-oriented agenda of CBD COP 17, under the Armenian Presidency’s theme “Taking action for nature”, by exploring how high-integrity crediting approaches for nature and biodiversity. 

Against this backdrop, high-integrity crediting approaches for nature and biodiversity have emerged as promising approaches to mobilise private investment towards nature-positive outcomes. Governments, financial institutions, companies, standard-setting bodies and civil society organisations are increasingly exploring their potential to support biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration and sustainable use. 

The high-level event will mark the launch of the Friends of Credits for Nature and Biodiversity, an inclusive government-led platform for international cooperation, bringing together governments interested in advancing cooperation and knowledge-sharing on high-integrity crediting approaches for nature and biodiversity.  

It will also consider how high-integrity crediting approaches for nature and biodiversity can connect with National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, biodiversity finance plans and the GBF monitoring framework. This includes generating credible information on resources mobilised and nature outcomes, while avoiding double counting and ensuring alignment with national priorities, safeguards, transparency and monitoring systems. 

Expected Outcomes: 

• Contribution to international dialogue on biodiversity finance, private finance mobilisation, positive incentives and innovative finance schemes 
• Launch of the Friends of Credits for Nature and Biodiversity, including the presentation of its Joint Statement and initial Government Members and Associated Partners. 
• Recognition of the complementary contribution of Associated Partners to work on integrity, quality, equity and implementation, alongside government-led cooperation through the Friends. 
• Identification of priority cooperation areas, including safeguards, monitoring, reporting and verification, data, registries, claims, capacity-building, transparency, benefit-sharing, policy coherence and links with the GBF monitoring framework. 
• Identification of interested governments and Associated Partners willing to engage in future activities, with attention to different regional perspectives and to the priorities of biodiversity-rich countries and countries seeking to mobilise finance for GBF implementation and scale-up positive incentives for biodiversity. 

Target Audience: The event is primarily addressed to CBD Party representatives and policymakers working on biodiversity finance, GBF implementation, NBSAPs, biodiversity finance plans, resource mobilisation, ecosystem restoration and sustainable use. 

It is also addressed to partners able to support government-led cooperation through expertise, evidence, tools, convening capacity and implementation experience. These may include international organisations, public finance institutions, scientific and technical bodies, IPLC and rights-holder expert networks, and international initiatives working on integrity, quality and equity of crediting approaches for nature and biodiversity, including organisations and initiatives active on safeguards, MRV, data, capacity-building and policy coherence. 

Broader attendance is also expected from environmental NGOs, civil society organisations, academia, financial institutions, private-sector actors, standard-setters, project developers and implementation partners engaged in biodiversity finance and nature-positive investment. 

Partner Organisations: Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA); International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB); International Environment Guardians (IEG),  Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and other partner organisations to be confirmed.