CEN Workshop on Nature-Based Insurance and Investment Solutions
A new CEN Workshop is being established to build upon the innovative outcomes of the NATURANCE project, organized by UNI – Italian Standards Body. The initiative focuses on nature-based insurance and investment solutions (NBIIS), which integrate ecosystem services into financial instruments—enhancing disaster risk reduction, environmental and social benefits, and economic viability to foster resilient and transparent green finance.
The kick-off meeting for the Workshop is planned to take place remotely on September 18, 2025, from 10:00 to 12:30 CEST. Interested participants are invited to sign up for the kick-off meeting, where more information will be shared about how to participate in the process.
NBIIS leverage nature-based approaches—such as wetland restoration, forest conservation, or green infrastructure—to deliver financial protection against disaster and climate risks. These instruments offer a promising path to close finance and protection gaps, particularly in areas such as climate adaptation, biodiversity, and disaster risk reduction. However, their limited scalability and lack of recognition as standard financial products present major challenges.
The CEN Workshop aims to define shared performance metrics and design principles for NBIIS. This will foster convergence and consensus on criteria for risk reduction, social and environmental co-benefits, and safeguards against unintended impacts, thereby enhancing the transparency and credibility of these financial mechanisms.
Standardization is essential in the following areas:
- Performance Metrics for Risk Reduction and Co-Benefits
- Establishing agreed-upon indicators and benchmarks to assess the effectiveness of NBIIS in reducing climate and disaster risks, while delivering measurable social, environmental, and economic benefits
- Design Principles and Accountability Frameworks
- Developing guiding principles that promote ethical design, equitable benefit distribution, and safeguards against unintended consequences—such as the exclusion of vulnerable communities or the degradation of ecosystems
- Integration with EU and Global Sustainability Frameworks
- Aligning NBIIS with existing legal and policy instruments such as the EU Taxonomy, the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), and the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions. This alignment ensures credibility, avoids greenwashing, and enables better comparability and replication across contexts
Aligning NBIIS with existing legal and policy instruments such as the EU Taxonomy, the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), and the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions. This alignment ensures credibility, avoids greenwashing, and enables better comparability and replication across contexts.