Innovative Finance for Nature and People: Opportunities and Challenges for Biodiversity-Positive Carbon Credits and Nature Certificates

Forests, particularly primary tropical forests, are critical natural capital for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement, and the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, especially in ways that benefit host countries and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). The One Forest Summit in Libreville on 1-2 March 2023, co-hosted by France and Gabon, provides an opportunity to ensure that these ecosystems are safeguarded and restored for their environmental, economic, cultural, and social benefits.

This report presents the state-of-play, diagnostics, and recommendations for unlocking new financial resources for the conservation, sustainable use, and restoration of biodiversity in a socially inclusive manner, with a focus on two emerging instruments: biodiversity-positive carbon credits and nature certificates.