Biodiversity

Our Work

The European Community is an important funder of conservation within the EU. IEEP has decades of experience in contributing to debates on EU and global financing of biodiversity. We aim to help policy-makers understand the benefits associated with investing in nature conservation, and to make stakeholders aware of funding opportunities. Our work includes assessing how much money has been directed towards biodiversity protection and making recommendations to ensure that funding is adequate to meet biodiversity objectives.

IEEP has a broad range of experts in European funds, enabling us to develop detailed guidance on the opportunities for funding biodiversity conservation through these channels. This work includes the European Commission’s Financing Natura 2000 Guidance Handbook and other finance related guidance. We also analyse innovative financial instruments and approaches to enhance private sector financing of biodiversity, and funding biodiversity conservation in developing countries.

Our work has also supported the case for investing in nature conservation through researching the social and economic benefits and costs of investing in protected areas, including the Natura 2000 network.

Latest in Financing Biodiversity

  • Social and Economic Benefits of Protected Areas

    A new book by IEEP researchers offers a comprehensive introduction to the socio-economic benefits of protected areas and provides step-by-step guidance on identifying, assessing and valuing the various benefits they provide.

  • Sectoral resource mobilisation to implement global biodiversity targets

    There is an urgent need to find sufficient resources to enable developing countries to implement the global targets for biodiversity by 2020. Financing the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity from different sectoral funding flows can complement global biodiversity financing.

  • Guidance manual for TEEB country studies - Version 1.0

    Co-authored by IEEP staff, the Manual is for anyone who is considering or currently undertaking a TEEB country study. Its purpose is to provide guidance throughout the entire TCS cycle, from initiation to policy analysis and ecosystem service valuations, communicating findings, and using results to support decision making.

  • Socio-economic importance of ecosystem services in the Nordic countries

    New TEEB-inspired regional assessment (published on 31 January) shows that nature and its ecosystem services are of high socio-economic significance for the Nordic countries. In order to be truly sustainable, Nordic economic systems need to build on a more comprehensive appreciation and understanding of the value of natural capital.

Highlights

  • Sectoral resource mobilisation to implement global biodiversity targets

    There is an urgent need to find sufficient resources to enable developing countries to implement the global targets for biodiversity by 2020. Financing the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity from different sectoral funding flows can complement global biodiversity financing.

  • Social and Economic Benefits of Protected Areas

    A new book by IEEP researchers offers a comprehensive introduction to the socio-economic benefits of protected areas and provides step-by-step guidance on identifying, assessing and valuing the various benefits they provide.