185 Countries Join Forces to Set up a Biodiversity Fund

Representatives from 185 countries gather in Vancouver, Canada, to ratify a fund destined to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and help nature recover by 2030.

“The creation of this biodiversity fund is a game-changer for countries’ ability to protect, restore, and ensure the sustainable use of nature,” says Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and chairperson of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).

The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund is meant to meet the goals outlined in the Global Biodiversity Framework adopted last year as part of the U.N. biodiversity conference (COP15) held in Montreal, Canada. Governments, philanthropy, and the private sectors alike are invited to invest in the fund. Canada and the United Kingdom have put in initial contributions of $146.8 million and $12.58 million, respectively. Canada is also providing an additional $16.75 million to fund the GEF in order to tackle the triple planetary crisis – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. As part of the targets, 20% of the fund will support indigenous and local actions aimed at protecting biodiversity, and 36% will be allotted to the support of the most vulnerable people – like small island developing states – and least developed countries.