In this Article
In response to the crisis of biodiversity loss, UNEP and CBD established the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The framework suggests that governments, businesses, financial institutions, and society must work together. It calls on the private sector to align business activities and financial flows with biodiversity goals, assess and disclose biodiversity-related risks, and help mobilize at least USD 200 billion annually for biodiversity action by 2030.
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The global biodiversity roadmap emphasizes the urgent need to protect biodiversity since it is essential to economic development, human well-being, and business operations. More than half of global gross domestic product (GDP) depends on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and billions of people rely on healthy ecosystems for food, water, livelihoods, and income. However, unsustainable economic activities, pollution, land-use change, and ecosystem degradation continue to drive biodiversity loss, threatening economies, livelihoods, and global resilience.
To address this crisis, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) introduced the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which sets global targets for 2030 and goals for 2050 to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The framework suggests that governments, businesses, financial institutions, and society must work together. It calls on the private sector to align business activities and financial flows with biodiversity goals, assess and disclose biodiversity-related risks, and help mobilize at least USD 200 billion annually for biodiversity action by 2030.
Despite the importance of private action, many barriers limit progress. Market failures often undervalue biodiversity, treating ecosystem services as free and unlimited. Businesses also face challenges such as low awareness of nature-related risks, lack of technical expertise, limited investment opportunities, and weak regulatory incentives. Industries such as agriculture, fishing, mining, fashion, construction, and tourism contribute significantly to biodiversity loss through deforestation, pollution, overexploitation of resources, and ecosystem degradation.
At the same time, biodiversity loss increasingly creates economic risks for businesses and financial institutions, including resource shortages, price volatility, stranded assets, and supply chain disruptions. Extreme weather events, ecosystem collapse, and natural resource shortages are now recognized as some of the world’s most severe long-term risks. Addressing biodiversity loss requires transforming business models, investment systems, and policies so that economic activities support rather than damage nature. Development co-operation can help by strengthening environmental policies and regulations, engaging the private sector through innovation and sustainable supply chains, and mobilizing private finance. Ultimately, stronger collaboration between governments, development institutions, and private actors is essential to scale up biodiversity action and create sustainable economic growth.
Reference:
OECD (2026), Scaling Up Private Action for Nature: Opportunities for Development Co-operation and Finance, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/cae9a3dc-en.
