BIOFIN-EU Unlock finance to protect and restore biodiversity

BIOFIN-EU logo

BIOFIN-EU aims to establish a comprehensive framework and technology that fosters the necessary conditions for nature-positive investments. BIOFIN-EU is actively innovating and experimenting with novel approaches for capturing, aggregating, and analysing biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) data. The goal is to minimise transaction and reporting costs associated with finance that supports the protection and restoration of biodiversity. BIOFIN-EU is a 3-year Horizon project (2024-2026) funded by the European Union.

Project
summary

Nature is essential for human existence, and our quality of life and society depend on the natural environment, its biodiversity and ecosystem services. The design of the global financial system, which allocates capital to optimise financial returns irrespective of sustainability considerations, is contributing to large-scale biodiversity loss and pushing our biosphere closer to collapse. Financial institutions and markets shape our modern lives and influence the products we consume, where and how we live, our access to energy, food, and transport services, and where we place our savings. The financial system is formed from networks of financial institutions and intermediaries deploying decision-making tools and instruments that direct and redirect the flow of capital. The EU Green Deal and the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy provide an important starting point for aligning capital flows with sustainability objectives and redirecting finance toward nature-positive economic activity. BIOFIN-EU will use a multi-actor approach to create impact through a science-led dashboard for nature-positive financial decision support. Built with and for six key groups: ecologists, data scientists, financial and accounting experts, citizens, providers of nature-based solutions (NbS) as well as investors, the Dashboard will help actors navigate large-scale financing challenges and to develop, replicate, scale out and strengthen NbS-investment.

Project
deliverables

BIOFIN-EU tackles obstacles and deficiencies in implementing the European Sustainable Finance Taxonomy while offering guidance, training, and tools to support decision-making for investments in Nature-Based Solutions. BIOFIN-EU will create an advanced analytics dashboard driven by science and data. This dashboard will provide support for making financial decisions that promote positive impacts on nature.

geld en natuur

Who work
on this project?

Partners:

University of Limerick (Coordinator), Naturalis, University of Gothenburg,  Queen’s University Belfast, University of Maastricht, Rainno, Universidade Lusófona, Sarajevo Economic Regional Development Agency, University of Padova, Etifor, Institute of Bankers, Sulitest, ILSI 

Our team:

Mark van Nieuwstadt

 

Links to
other activities

THRIVE, the Toolset for Hierarchical Reporting and Insightful Validation of Ecosystems developed by the Naturalis Natural Capital Team will be deployed in BIOFIN-EU as an impact assessment tool for Nature-based Solutions.