Infrastructure investments are among the largest drivers of both biodiversity loss, but can also be among the most important supporters of biodiversity recovery at the same time. MDBs are increasingly testing different approaches to deliver nature-positive outcomes through infrastructure investments across agriculture, transport, energy, water and wastewater, coastal and marine infrastructure, the built environment and urban areas. These range from dedicated nature-based solutions to biodiversity enhancement measures embedded within conventional grey infrastructure, including habitat restoration and biodiversity set-asides, ecosystem-based water treatment, blue-green infrastructure, water reuse, and ecological restoration associated with energy and marine infrastructure. The current challenge is understanding which projects and financial models for nature-positive measures in infrastructure projects can be replicated, financed, and scaled.  

Drawing on their practical experiences doing this across sectors and regions, this session will explore how MDBs and their partners are integrating nature into infrastructure planning, design, financing, and long-term stewardship, and what it will take to move from individual or small-scale pilots to mainstreamed nature investment approaches. The discussion will focus not only on project-level success stories, but also on the governance, financing, monitoring, and institutional arrangements required to sustain nature outcomes over time.  

By comparing experiences across sectors and geographies, the session aims to identify actionable lessons for scaling nature outcomes through infrastructure investment and accelerating implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.