Financing nature positive development involves strategies and activities focused on improving the natural environment while achieving economic gains. These investments target reversing biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, and climate change by funding projects that restore, protect and sustainably manage natural resources. 

The event discussed the growing field of innovative financing tools and resources for applying nature-based projects. It will also present success stories relevant to ADB’s developing member countries. As Asia and the Pacific’s Climate Bank, ADB has increased its ambitions for nature-positive investments and is innovating environmental finance approaches.  

ADB has issued green bonds since 2015 and added blue bonds to its thematic bond offering in 2021. ADB is now preparing to issue its inaugural biodiversity-themed bond at CBD COP16.  

ADB launched the Nature Solutions Hub, which aims to catalyze $5 billion for nature-based solutions and to develop financial instruments that allow the mobilization of private and public sector financing on a scale. ADB is also exploring opportunities to create various innovative financing mechanisms such as outcome-based bonds for species and landscape/seascape conservation, learning from the experiences of the Rhino Bond and others, debt for nature swaps, and other relevant financing for nature conservation. 

This session is part of The Green Road to Cali Series, which provides a platform for discussing current and emerging issues leading to the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to be held on 21 October – 1 November 2024 in Cali, Columbia. At the upcoming COP16, ADB plans to highlight progress made on biodiversity conservation and nature positive investments within the bank in close collaboration with partners. As the concluding session of the series, the session is expected to have participants from internal and external partners and prepare for COP16 to discuss recent progress and future priorities.