Nature Finance: "In 2023, the world spent $220Bn to protect nature while $7 300Bn were damaging it"(UNEP)

"In 2023, the world spent $220Bn to protect nature (+5% compared to 2022), while $7 300Bn flowed into activities that directly damage nature", according to the “2026 State of Nature Finance” report, released by the UN Environment Programme on 22/01/2026.

"The key purpose of the report is to track how money is flowing to Nature-based solutions through our economies. It gives a picture of where we are and where we're heading, so that policy makers, businesses including financial institutions, can make decisions", said Ivo Mulder, head of Climate Finance Unit at UNEP, to News Tank.

The report highlighted that among the nature-negative finance flows :
• "$4 900Bn are from private sources highly concentrated in a few sectors: utilities, industrials, energy, and basic materials ;
• and $2 400Bn from public finance flows through Environmentally Harmful Subsidies (EHS), dominated by subsidies to fossil fuel ($1 100Bn)".

According to Ivo Mulder, "the money flows has to change, otherwise the international targets related to biodiversity, climate, and restore land, will remain out of reach".
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