Seeding Private Sector Interest in Biodiversity

Biodiversity loss threatens enough economic activity to warrant far more private sector investment than it gets. Over half the world’s total GDP is “moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services,” and restoring and conserving nature is widely expected to require annual investment of more than US$700 billion. However, the money currently being spent doesn’t come anywhere close to that. If we’re serious about protecting our ecosystems, we can’t rely on the public sector alone. To help attract the level of private-sector investment required to bridge the biodiversity financing gap before it’s too late, this article argues that governments need to create a conducive investment environment and seed a self-sustaining biodiversity market through a major increase in concessional financing. The authors believe there are three primary factors behind why the biodiversity crisis in developing countries fails to attract more private capital. First is the scarcity of investible deals. Second, the environment in terms of policies and frameworks isn’t conducive. Third, risk perception is significant. To develop biodiversity as an adaptation sector, climate accelerators (cohort-based programs offering early equity that have mentorship and educational components) could facilitate and support the growth of adaptation and biodiversity technologies, particularly in developing countries.

• Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, leadership, IBJ Features