From Vision to Investment: Preparing Bankable NbS Projects
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) reported that the global economy is losing up to $25tn a year because of siloed sectors failing to account for how their actions fuel interconnected crises in nature, climate and human health.
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) touch on many sectors and are designed to be co-beneficial, meaning they enhance biodiversity while simultaneously providing social and economic benefits. Designing, funding, and implementing nature-based solutions therefore requires multi-sectoral partnerships and a myriad of innovative financing strategies.
In this third round of the Innovation Lab series, we shifted from strategy to action. This session offered cities a unique opportunity to present their urban nature-based solution projects to a panel of financing and funding experts for live feedback and engagement.
Participants
Institutions shared perspectives on what makes NbS projects “bankable”, how cities can de-risk their proposals, and what kinds of partnerships and business models attract investment. In return, cities gained direct insights into how to better align their projects with real-world financing opportunities, unlocking the capital needed to scale urban nature efforts.
- Bankers without Boundaries, investment banking, asset management and advisory firm
- Howden Broking, the largest international insurance broker
- The European Investment Bank
- ClimateKIC
Outcomes
- Cities refine their NbS projects based on expert feedback;
- Funders and insurers gain insight into emerging urban nature needs;
- New cross-sectoral connections are formed to accelerate investment in urban NbS;
- Participants co-develop ideas for making NbS more finance-ready in the context of climate, biodiversity, and resilience goals.
About
“Innovation Lab” refers to a small-group discussion where experts from diverse institutions come together to innovate and generate novel solutions to a common challenge. The idea is to create a space where participants have the freedom to challenge dominant or business-as-usual approaches, and to innovate new pathways for societal transformation. As part of the NATURANCE project, ICLEI is piloting a series of Innovation Labs in collaboration to explore the topic of Advancing Nature-based Solutions through Innovative Finance Mechanisms.