Reflecting on an action packed end to 2021, one thing is clear: protecting and restoring nature to tackle the biodiversity and climate crisis we face has never been higher on the agenda. Public concern on the loss of biodiversity is growing and undoubtedly investors are not far behind, looking for opportunities to direct capital towards regenerating the natural world we all depend on.

But the chasm between the funding needed to restore nature and what is currently invested in conservation remains stubbornly wide. The good news is that the biodiversity finance gap is rising to the fore too. From Climate COP 26, we saw pledges that keep the 1.5 goal alive (just!) and an acknowledgement that nature and reversing its loss is central to a net zero future. But what does this mean for 2022 and the major milestone of the Biodiversity COP 15 in China?

The road to Kunming should be paved with more than pledges. The ‘Kunming Declaration’ – aiming to put biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030 at the latest – will be put to the test in May 2022. This is where coalitions like CPIC can really harness the momentum to increase conservation finance and meet the scale of the crisis we face.

We are excited for what next year has in store for conservation finance and CPIC. In the meantime, we want to thank all our members for a productive year. Happy holidays and see you in 2022.

Read the full round-up of updates in the CPIC News Pulse for December 2021.