The Finance for Biodiversity Foundation (FfB Foundation) is thrilled to announce its selection for funding under the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) first-ever Innovation Window. This prestigious funding opportunity, which has been awarded to only seven organisations across the globe, underscores the GEF’s commitment to fostering innovation in global environmental finance. 

The FfB Foundation’s winning programme, titled “Private Finance and Investments for Nature-Positive,” will run from summer 2025 to summer 2027. The initiative aims to equip private financial institutions with the tools needed to align their finance activities and investments with nature-positive outcomes, thereby contributing to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K-M GBF). 

The Innovation Window, which provides a total of $12.3 million in grants to innovative projects that test and pilot new models and solutions to global environmental problems, is part of the GEF’s ongoing effort to invest in developing novel approaches, tools and business models for complex problems that will also offer knowledge sharing and learning opportunities for its core activities.  

“We are honoured to receive GEF support for this transformative initiative, which will help align financial flows with nature-positive outcomes by equipping private financial institutions with clear guidance and frameworks,” said Anita de Horde, Co-founding Executive Director of the Finance for Biodiversity Foundation. “Together with our members, partners and the wider finance community, we aim to bridge the gap between ambition and action by enabling financial institutions to measure and manage their impacts on nature and build biodiversity into decision-making. This work will support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and aims to unlock sustainable investment opportunities for nature recovery.” 

Project Overview 

The FfB Foundation’s initiative focuses on creating actionable guidance and innovative strategies for financial institutions and impact funds to adopt nature-positive practices. Through collaboration with global partners such as WWF and the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and active engagement with the FfB Foundation’s members—including the Positive Impact Working Group and other working groups—the programme seeks to provide: 

• Comprehensive practical guidance for private financial institutions to measure the biodiversity impacts of their finance activities and investments, set targets and scale finance with nature-positive outcomes. 

• Examples of innovative investment strategies and financing mechanisms to build and grow portfolios contributing to nature-positive outcomes. 

By addressing systemic barriers and enhancing the private financial sector’s capacity to contribute to biodiversity recovery, this project promises to be a catalyst for transformative change. 

Global Significance 

The concepts of finance for nature-positive and positive impact investments in biodiversity are rapidly gaining traction but lack universally accepted definitions and frameworks. This project will bridge this gap by offering private financial institutions the tools and knowledge to achieve meaningful nature-positive outcomes. 

The initiative will also align with GEF’s business model innovation and financial innovation categories, demonstrating how private finance can support global biodiversity goals. 

Call to Action 

This funding reinforces the FfB Foundation’s position as a leader in mobilising the private finance sector to combat biodiversity loss. The Foundation is committed to helping financial institutions embed biodiversity into their investment decisions through collaboration with its active members and partners. As the finance community continues to work towards halting and reversing biodiversity loss before 2030, this initiative will play a pivotal role in ensuring that private financial institutions are well-equipped to contribute meaningfully.