Germany mobilises private funding for global protection of our natural foundations of life
Targeted support for large protected areas in Africa, international insect research and biodiversity and landscape conservation.
To mark the 17th UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 17), Germany has announced further support for global nature conservation and restoration. With the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the international community set itself concrete global targets for the conservation, sustainable use and restoration of biodiversity by 2030. We must now meet these commitments. With its pledges, Germany is securing the long-term conservation of important natural landscapes and protected areas, the restoration of habitats and the protection of endangered species. The funding also assists countries in implementing their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). This shows that Germany is still a reliable international partner and key player in biodiversity finance. The UN Biodiversity Conference is taking place in Yerevan, Armenia until 30 October 2026.
Nature conservation is a task for the whole of humanity. In Germany, we have twofold responsibility for it – national and international. The countries with the richest biodiversity lie in the Global South. Quite rightly, these countries expect us not to abandon them to this task in future, since we, too, depend on intact nature. Our funding pledges give our partner countries tangible support for their nature conservation priorities, in policy-making, planning, research and implementation.
Federal Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan noted: “The world’s most biodiverse regions are in the Global South – the partner countries of the German Development Ministry. Together with these countries, we are working to preserve biodiversity and protect vital natural resources such as clean water and fertile soils. Our primary focus is on people, including strengthening the rights and participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. Only in this way can we preserve nature around the world for the long term as the basis of our food supply, prosperity and security.”
To mark the UN Biodiversity Conference, the German government has announced it will provide the following funding:
Incorporating pledges from private foundations, Germany has put together a public-private finance package of 300 million US dollars for the Legacy Landscapes Fund. The public purse is contributing 100 million US dollars to this amount from the Federal Environment Ministry’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) and from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the KfW promotional bank. The foundations are trebling this amount. The Legacy Landscapes Fund will use the money to conserve globally important protected areas in Africa.
Germany is replenishing the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) with a further 50 million euros from the IKI. The GBFF was set up in record time under the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with the aim of supporting implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). For example, alongside ecosystem restoration and the integration of biodiversity into sectors like agriculture, fisheries and infrastructure, the funding has also supported nature reserves covering an area larger than the entire Federal Republic of Germany. It has also helped reduce CO2 emissions equivalent to those produced by 67 million internal combustion engine vehicles. The German government’s third payment to the GBFF will enable new projects to be selected and thus strongly reaffirms Germany’s commitment to multilateral funding arrangements.
The Federal Environment Ministry’s contribution of 20 million euros from IKI funds to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports partner countries in implementing their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). It is used directly in the areas for which support was requested. The focus is on particularly ambitious country requests under the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership.
Via the IKI, Germany has also provided 15 million euros to the Nature Investment Facility of the UNDP. This aims to mobilise private investments for the protection of valuable natural landscapes, for example in Asia, and for establishing new project pipelines in Latin America and Africa. The goal is to attract more private capital for nature conservation, thus strengthening the funding base for the long term.
Also through the IKI, Germany is working to establish a Nature Conservation Fund in Ukraine to help protect and conserve Europe’s primeval forests. 10 million euros are being made available for this. The aim is to permanently secure protected areas and key buffer zones in the Carpathians, such as the UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site “Ancient Beech Forests of Europe”.
In addition, the BMZ is contributing to the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) for research into supporting pollinator insects. Besides wild flora, many crop plants also depend on these insects. They are thus not only important for maintaining biodiversity and food security, they are also vital for agriculture and hence for the income security of smallholder farmers.
The Federal Environment Ministry funding also helps delegates from developing countries and civil society representatives, especially indigenous peoples and local communities, women and youth to participate in the CBD negotiations and preparatory meetings and events.
Germany is working to strengthen international cooperation on biodiversity conservation. The UN Biodiversity Conference COP 17, currently underway, is an opportunity to translate our shared responsibility into concrete action.
The link has been copied to the clipboard
Contact
IKI Office
Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH
Stresemannstraße 69-71
10963 Berlin
Please submit written enquiries via the contact form
