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Nature Credit Markets

BiodiversityClimate

Protecting nature is imperative for our future — but current finance flows are insufficient to sustain it. “Nature credits” could unlock a much-needed source of funding to restore nature for the benefit of humanity.

Nature credits, also called biodiversity credits or certificates, seek to finance nature and support a shift to sustainable (“nature-positive”) economies.

Conservation International believes nature credit markets have the potential to be a valuable, additional and complementary tool for closing the nature finance gap. Our objective is to catalyze and shape high-integrity and equitable nature credit markets that deliver new finance that supports net-positive and lasting outcomes for nature and people and the transition to nature-positive economies.

700B

US DOLLARS

The estimated financing gap for biodiversity conservation is US$ 700 billion per year. As recognized by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), a range of new finance flows are required to close this gap, from bonds to funds to debt-for-nature swaps, which Conservation International continues to support. The GBF also recognizes the role that biodiversity or nature credits could play in closing this gap.

Our approach

Our strategy toward high-integrity, equitable and durable nature credit markets couples high-integrity demand with high-integrity supply, underpinned by effective governance, participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and robust science enabled through technology. This will be facilitated by partnerships across all strategy levers and enabled through place-based market pilots that provide a safe space for collaboration and experimentation from which all market actors can learn.

Read our position on nature credit markets

Nature Positive: Conservation International’s Position on Nature Credit MarketsPositivo Para la Naturaleza (ES)Positivo Para a Natureza (BR)Positibo Sa Kalikasan (PH)Positif Bagi Alam (ID)

Other resources

Enabling policies for high-integrity nature marketsEnabling a rights first approach through Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities governance for nature markets