For every dollar invested in protecting nature, $30 is spent destroying it– that is the central finding of theState of Finance for Nature 2026 report, calling for a major policy shift toward scaling up solutions that help the natural world – while supporting the economy.
Damage control
The data shows that there are several areas where damage is particularly severe: utilities, industry, energy and basic materials; and sectors that benefit from subsidies that harm the environment – namely fossil fuels, agriculture, water, transport and construction.
“If you follow the money, you see the scale of the challenge ahead,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEPin response to the report, contrasting the slow progress of nature-based solutions with harmful investments and subsidies that, she said, are continuing to increase.
“We can invest in the destruction of nature, or stimulate its recovery – there is no middle ground.”
A wealth of solutions
In addition to identifying the extent of the imbalance, the report’s authors outline a vision of a “major change in nature,” highlighting examples of solutions that both work and are economically viable.
They include:
- greening urban areas to combat heat island effects and improve the quality of life for citizens;
- embedding nature in road and energy infrastructure;
- Produce emission-negative building materials.
The study also outlines a path for phasing out harmful subsidies and destructive investments in production systems and scaling up investments that are ‘nature positive’.
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