Scaling Up Private Action for Nature

Annex C. Examples of private sector engagement in the context of development and biodiversity

Table A C.1 provides examples of development co-operation initiatives supporting private sector engagement in the context of development and biodiversity in addition to those discussed in chapter 3. Organised by category, actor and project description, these were identified through consultations with development actors and illustrate the range of ongoing efforts. (The list of actors consulted is presented in Annex A).

Table A C.1. Overview of development co-operation examples by category

A biodiversity perspective

Category	Development co-operation actor(s) + other actors	Example or project description
Productive Capacity	Slovak Republic, UNDP + private sector companies	Co-operation on cybersecurity solutions in water management in North Macedonia, contributing to technological capacity for sustainable resource governance (Slovak Republic Ministry of Finance, 2025[1])
Productive Capacity	Canada, ADB	Canada’s Climate and Nature Fund for the Private Sector in Asia, implemented with the ADB, provides concessional finance and technical assistance to mobilise private investment from businesses and individuals in nature‑based solutions for enhanced management of natural capital and biodiversity; for nature-positive projects; and to support sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, water management, and habitat restoration and protection (Global Affairs Canada, 2026[2])
Productive Capacity & Market Access	Korea + Kenya Good Neighbors, Global Impact Foundation, Coffee Changgo	KOICA’s Kenya office funded a project in Embu, implemented by Kenya Good Neighbors, Global Impact Foundation and Coffee Changgo to increase coffee farmers’ incomes by strengthening cooperative operations, expanding market access, and promoting eco‑friendly farming practices through capacity building and training (KOICA Kenya Office, 2025[3])
Productive Capacity & Market Development	Canada, France, EIB, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, GEF, GCF + private investors	The Land Degradation Neutrality Fund (LDN Fund) is a multi‑donor blended finance vehicle co‑promoted by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and managed by Mirova that mobilises private capital into sustainable land management, regenerative agriculture and sustainable forestry across Africa, Asia and Latin America. A successor fund, the Mirova Sustainable Land Fund 2, seeks to continue supporting these objectives (Government of Canada, 2025[4])
Market Access & Responsible Supply Chains	Spain + Leroy Merlin, COPADE	Facilitated partnerships for certified sustainable wood (with the Forest Stewardship Council, Madera Justa) from Guatemala for export; this includes fair trade support and helping connect producers with Spanish companies and European market demand (Fundación COPADE, 2023[5])
Market Access & Responsible Supply Chains	Luxembourg + Global Landscapes Forum	Establishment of Finance for Nature Platform to channel investment into sustainable land use and value chains (Global Landscapes Forum, 2025[6])
Market Access & Responsible Supply Chains	Italy, UNIDO + Illycaffè, Ernesto Illy Foundation, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia	Italy supports the strengthening of the sustainability of Ethiopia’s coffee supply and value chain, including through multi‑stakeholder partnerships (AICS, UNIDO, Illycaffè and the Ernesto Illy Foundation) and a blended finance facility, including a credit line co‑designed with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia. These efforts enable co-operatives, producers and exporters to improve quality, productivity and environmental sustainability (e.g. through conservation-minded production models that protect natural resources) (OECD, 2026[7]; AICS, 2024[8])
Fostering Innovation & Entrepreneurship	IDB, Sweden, France, United Kingdom (British embassy)	Support to the regional platform Cumbre de Innovación e Inversión para la Biodiversidad y Economías del Futuro to scale up innovation and investment for biodiversity by fostering collaboration among bioentrepreneurs, startups, businesses and incubation networks (Cumbre CEIBA, 2025[9])
Fostering Innovation & Entrepreneurship	United Kingdom + FSD Africa	The Carbon Accelerator Programme for the Environment (CAPE) provides transaction advisory services and technical project development to address revenue issues in biodiversity projects by integrating carbon credits with biodiversity conservation thus strengthening nature-based markets (FSD Africa, 2024[10])
Fostering Innovation & Entrepreneurship	Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, United States, GCF, UN agencies + philanthropic foundations and private actors	The Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) is a public-private partnership initiative that mobilises private investment to protect and restore coral reef ecosystems by mobilising finance to support “reef positive” enterprises such as sustainable aquaculture and fisheries, long-term financing for marine protected area management, and nature-based risk financing for post storms coral restoration initiatives (Global Fund for Coral Reefs, 2026[11])
Fostering Innovation & Entrepreneurship	EU	The EU’s European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) “Natural Capital” activities promote NbS and nature-positive approaches by private sector investments in partner countries (European Parliament, 2025[12])
Fostering Innovation & Entrepreneurship	Australia	Australia supports private action through the Australian Development Investments, a government-supported impact investment fund that supports sustainable agriculture trade finance solutions for smallholder farmers (Australian Development Investments, 2025[13])
Fostering Innovation & Entrepreneurship	Canada	Canada is piloting repayable funding under its Innovative Finance Program to support innovation and encourage private sector participation in SDG-aligned investments in developing countries, including potential initiatives with biodiversity co-benefits – by mitigating or absorbing risk, and by strengthening local capacity and the enabling environment (Government of Canada, 2022[14])
Fostering Innovation & Market Development	Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States + private actors, philanthropic foundations and academia	The Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) is a multi-stakeholder platform to develop new financial and insurance products including through its Sea Change Impact Financing Facility that aims to grow an investable product pipeline to finance regenerative and sustainable blue economy, including Investment into projects to improve biodiversity and resilience in coastal communities, creating business opportunities through marine protected areas, ecotourism, PES and blue carbon (Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance, 2025[15])
Fostering Innovation & Entrepreneurship/Local Market Development	Spain	The PROTEC initiative promotes circular economy, fosters local innovation (e.g. biodegradable bags), and creates local green jobs and microenterprises by providing technical assistance for feasibility studies and research and fostering local and academic participation (AECID, 2025[16])
Market Development & Revenue Generation	Germany, Sweden, UNDP	Support to the Biodiversity Credit Alliance to develop credible and scalable markets in developing countries and to facilitate partnerships with Indigenous peoples and local communities (Biodiversity Credit Alliance, n.d.[17]; UNDP, 2026[18])
Traceability	Denmark	Danida’s Green Business Partnership brings together local commercial- and non-commercial actors in developing countries to promote green transitions and inclusive economies, including for traceable regenerative agricultural practices in partnership with local farmer producer organisations, agri-SMES and private companies (Danida Business Partnerships, 2024[19])
Knowledge Exchange	Sweden	Team Sweden Sustainability convenes government authorities and national businesses to promote responsible business models in the Swedish export and value chains in partner countries (Team Sweden, 2026[20])
Knowledge Exchange & Capacity Support	Netherlands + Palladium	As part of the Mobilising Finance for Forests programme, supported a learning, convening and influencing platform to deepen expertise in financing and develop business and investment models for forests and sustainable land use (FMO, 2025[21])
Knowledge Exchange & Capacity Support	Latvia	The Consultative Council for Development Cooperation Policy organises consultations with the private sector in Latvia to promote its participation in shaping development co-operation guidelines and plans, serving as a platform for exchange among ministries, academia and CSOs (Republic of Latvia, 2023[22]).
Knowledge Exchange & Capacity Support	United Kingdom + Forever Wild	Roadmap and case studies to structure fair environmental contracts and legal arrangements for nature and land rights holders,1 including Indigenous peoples and local communities (Forever Wild, 2025[23])
Knowledge Exchange & Capacity Support	Spain	Intercoonecta programme promotes knowledge transfer, exchange and management (e.g. by facilitating seminars, lectures and dialogue spaces) through different thematic communities in LAC, including on sustainable use of natural resources and the circular bioeconomy to promote innovation and income development of rural MSMEs (Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, 2025[24])
Knowledge Exchange & Capacity Support	Denmark	The Danida Green Business Partnership brings together local commercial and non-commercial actors in developing countries to promote green transitions and inclusive economies – for example to promote traceable regenerative agricultural practices in partnership with local farmer producer organisations, agri-SMES and private companies (Danida Business Partnerships, 2024[19])
Market Development/Revenue Generation	Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Germany, Netherlands, IDB	Support to the Amazon Bioeconomy and Forest Management Fund, including to empower small- and medium-scale land users, particularly Indigenous peoples and local communities, thus contributing to the IDB’s work in the Amazon region (Inter-American Development Bank, 2022[25])
Data & Technology	Czechia	Czechia is assisting Ethiopia in the use of drones and high-tech equipment in agriculture to map and develop tailor-made recommendations around irrigation and the use of fertiliser, thereby increasing productivity (Czech Aid, 2022[26])
Data & Technology	Italy + Apio	Italy supports the sustainability and transparency of cocoa value chain in Côte d’Ivoire through a public‑private partnership between AICS and the Italian company Apio, using digital traceability tools (e.g. blockchain) to improve information flows and enhance environmental and social outcomes, including premium prices for fully traceable cocoa (AICS, 2023[27])

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of all possible forms of private sector engagement for biodiversity, and existing development co-operation projects may span more than one category type.

Source: Authors’ elaboration.

References

[16] AECID (2025), La AECID impulsa la transición ecológica con proyectos que combaten el cambio climático y la contaminación por plásticos. AECID promotes the ecological transition through projects that tackle climate change and plastic pollution, https://www.aecid.es/en/w/la-aecid-impulsa-la-transici%C3%B3n-ecol%C3%B3gica-con-proyectos-que-combaten-el-cambio-clim%C3%A1tico-y-la-contaminaci%C3%B3n-por-pl%C3%A1sticos (accessed on 3 July 2025).

[8] AICS (2024), Ethiopia Evaluation of the Initiative: Strengthenin the sustainability and inclusiveness of the coffee supply chain through public-private partnerships AID 11003, https://www.aics.gov.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Etiopia-Caffe_Evaluation_Report_ENG.pdf (accessed on 3 April 2026).

[27] AICS (2023), Fair and Trusty Trade: tracciabilità, trasparenza e fiducia nella filiera del cacao. Traceability, transparency and trust in the cocoa value chain, https://www.aics.gov.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AICS-REPORT_compressed.pdf (accessed on 3 April 2026).

[13] Australian Development Investments (2025), “TechCoop strengthens Vietnam’s agriculture sector with trade finance solutions, reaching 250,000+ smallholder farmers”, https://adi.fund/case-studies/techcoop-strengthens-vietnams-agriculture-sector-with-trade-finance-solutions-reaching-250000-smallholder-farmers/ (accessed on 23 July 2025).

[17] Biodiversity Credit Alliance (n.d.), A new market in nature credits needs the best start possible, https://www.biodiversitycreditalliance.org/ (accessed on 20 January 2025).

[9] Cumbre CEIBA (2025), Cumbre de Innovación para la Biodiversidad y las Economías Futuras. Innovation Summit for Biodiversity and Future Economies. Innovation Summit for Biodiversity and Future Economies, https://www.biodiversityweek.com/ceiba (accessed on 16 January 2026).

[26] Czech Aid (2022), “The use of unmanned aerial vehicles in Ethiopian agriculture”, https://czechaid.gov.cz/program-b2b/vyuziti-bezpilotnich-prostredku-v-etiopskem-zemedelstvi (accessed on 9 February 2026).

[19] Danida Business Partnerships (2024), Climate-resilient, regenerative, and inclusive cotton value chain in Madhya Pradesh, India, Danish International Development Agency (Danida), Copenhagen, https://danida-business-partnerships.dk/projects/advancing-climate-resilient-and-regenerative-cotton-in-india/ (accessed on 18 July 2025).

[12] European Parliament (2025), “Answer given by Mr Síkela on behalf of the European Commission (27.6.25)”, No. E-001406/2025, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-10-2025-001406-ASW_EN.pdf (accessed on 9 July 2025).

[21] FMO (2025), Partnering for Impact - Learning, convening and influencing platform, Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO), The Hague, https://www.fmo.nl/lcip (accessed on 24 July 2025).

[23] Forever Wild (2025), The New World of Nature Finance: A Roadmap and Case Study for Land Rights Holders and Investors, https://foreverwild.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-The-new-world-of-nature-finance.pdf (accessed on 19 July 2025).

[10] FSD Africa (2024), FSD Africa Launches Carbon Accelerator Programme for the Environment (CAPE) to Unlock Finance for High-Integrity Nature-Based Carbon Projects in Africa, https://fsdafrica.org/fsd-africa-launches-carbon-accelerator-programme-for-the-environment-cape-to-unlock-finance-for-high-integrity-nature-based-carbon-projects-in-africa/ (accessed on 3 July 2025).

[5] Fundación COPADE (2023), “COPADE y Leroy Merlin, más de 10 años promoviendo el desarrollo sostenible en comunidades forestales de Guatemala. COPADE and Leroy Merlin: over 10 years promoting sustainable development in forest communities in Guatemala”, https://copade.es/copade-y-leroy-merlin-mas-de-10-anos-promoviendo-el-desarrollo-sostenible-en-comunidades-forestales-de-guatemala/ (accessed on 24 July 2025).

[2] Global Affairs Canada (2026), Project profile - Canadian climate and nature fund for the private sector in Asia, https://w05.international.gc.ca/projectbrowser-banqueprojets/project-projet/details/p012801001 (accessed on 4 March 2026).

[11] Global Fund for Coral Reefs (2026), About, https://globalfundcoralreefs.org/about/ (accessed on 4 March 2026).

[6] Global Landscapes Forum (2025), The Luxembourg-GLF Finance for Nature Platform, https://www.globallandscapesforum.org/luxembourg-glf-platform/ (accessed on 24 July 2025).

[4] Government of Canada (2025), Grants and Contributions: Sustainable Land Fund (SLF 2), https://search.open.canada.ca/grants/record/dfatd-maecd%2C064-2024-2025-Q4-A0055%2Ccurrent (accessed on 5 March 2026).

[14] Government of Canada (2022), Canadian and the world: Canada’s Innovative Finance Programs, https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/funding-financement/about_ifp-a_propos-pfi.aspx?lang=eng (accessed on 24 July 2025).

[25] Inter-American Development Bank (2022), “IDB and Switzerland Boost Sustainable Development in the Amazon”, https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-and-switzerland-boost-sustainable-development-amazon (accessed on 18 July 2025).

[3] KOICA Kenya Office (2025), KOICA Kenya Office’s Post, https://www.facebook.com/koicakenya/posts/on-2829-april-2025-koica-kenya-office-participated-in-the-training-completion-ce/1089293693229731/ (accessed on 3 April 2026).

[15] Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (2025), Investing in coastal communities and the Ocean, https://oceanriskalliance.org/ (accessed on 3 July 2025).

[7] OECD (2026), Italy’s partnership‑based approach to supporting Ethiopia’s coffee sector, https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/development-co-operation-tips-tools-insights-practices_be69e0cf-en/italy-s-partnership-based-approach-to-supporting-ethiopia-s-coffee-sector_f6bd7d32-en.html (accessed on 3 April 2026).

[22] Republic of Latvia (2023), By-laws of the Consultative Council for Development Cooperation Policy, https://likumi.lv/ta/en/en/id/247343 (accessed on 25 March 2026).

[1] Slovak Republic Ministry of Finance (2025), Programme support for North Macedonia, https://publicfinance.undp.sk/en/severne-macedonsko/ (accessed on 20 February 2026).

[24] Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (2025), Medio Ambiente y Cambio Climático (Environment and Climate Change), https://intercoonecta.aecid.es/comunidades-tematicas-de-conocimiento/comunidades/medio-ambiente-y-cambio-clim%C3%A1tico (accessed on 3 July 2025).

[20] Team Sweden (2026), Sustainability, https://www.teamsweden.se/trade-invest/sustainability/ (accessed on 25 March 2026).

[18] UNDP (2026), Biodiversity Credit Alliance: bringing together diverse stakeholders to invest in biodiversity, https://www.undp.org/nature/our-flagship-initiatives/biodiversity-credit-alliance.

Note

← 1.  Land rights holders, as defined by Forever Wild, “are the individuals and communities who live on, own, manage or have direct rights over land and its natural resources”. See https://foreverwild.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-The-new-world-of-nature-finance.pdf.