London and Geneva, 4 October 2022 – The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Green Finance Institute (GFI) are partnering to host a special podcast series to highlight the role of finance and natural climate solutions in the run up to COP27.

This five-episode series – Financing Nature: COP27 Special – will build awareness of the need for private finance in delivering the nature-positive outcomes we urgently need for climate mitigation and adaptation. The first episode will be broadcast on Wednesday 5 October.

Susan Gardner, Director, Ecosystems Division, UNEP, said: “UNEP has identified that if the world is to meet its climate change, biodiversity, and land degradation targets, it needs to close a $4.1 trillion financing gap in nature by 2050. The stakes are higher than ever, biodiversity and nature must be at the forefront of the COP27 climate agenda. Egypt represents a unique opportunity to accelerate the implementation of effective nature-positive solutions for people, economies, and the well-being of future generations.”

Investments in nature restoration, protection and nature-based solutions are increasing, but not at the scale required to tackle the interdependent crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, GFI said: “We can and must channel private capital into nature-based solutions. This will require policy and regulatory support, catalytic capital and financial innovation. Ahead of COP27 in Egypt, Financing Nature: COP27 Special will showcase examples of where this is already happening, and discuss what we collectively must do to mobilise capital at scale”

Financing Nature: COP27 Special will feature leading voices and examples of individuals delivering on-the-ground solutions. This includes:

• Episode 1: Sagarika Chatterjee, GFANZ Secretariat and Finance Lead, Climate Action Champions and José Pugas, partner and executive Head of ESG of JGP Asset and signatory of the Innovative Finance for the Amazon Cerrado and Chaco (IFACC) Initiative. IFACC Initiative is working to scale-up innovative finance for deforestation- and conversion-free agricultural production in South America

• Episode 2: Andrew Deutz, Director of Global Policy, Institutions and Conservation Finance at The Nature Conservancy and Yasmine Sagita, Director of Sustainability, PT Royal Lestari Utama (RLU), who introduces the Tropical Landscape Finance Facility’s work with sustainability bonds and blended finance in Indonesia.

• Episode 3: Kaddu Sebbunya, CEO, African Wildlife Foundation and David Cheboryot, E4Impact, Entrepreneurial Support Organisation to The Restoration Factory, an initiative working to unlock and scale-up investments in sustainable land use and forest management in Africa.

• Episode 4: Karen Sack, Executive Director, Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance and Yabanex Batista, Deputy Head of UN Global Team on Global Coral Reef Fund, a catalytic financing instrument for reef-positive investable projects.

• Episode 5: Susan Gardner, Head of the Ecosystems Division and Ivo Mulder, Head of the Climate Finance Unit at the UN Environment Programme, who wrap up the series by sharing what they hope to see happen at COP27 and the actions we need to take to ensure nature restoration and nature-based solutions receive the investment they urgently require.