Environmental funds projected challenges and opportunities for financing at COP 17
Representatives from Latin American environmental funds, RedLAC, and GEF discussed challenges and opportunities for financing effective nature conservation and restoration and achieving biodiversity goals at COP17 CBD in Armenia.
According to the GEF study "How Conservation Trust Funds are Driving Progress for Nature," environmental funds act as essential catalysts for long-term biodiversity financing. In Latin America, these entities have become pillars of reliability, capable of channeling public and private resources toward national conservation priorities, maintaining their operational capacity even during periods of political or economic instability.
The regional trajectory demonstrates that these funds have transcended their purely financial role to become models of integrity and transparent governance. Through networks like RedLAC, which brings together funds in more than 20 countries, a system of mutual learning and institutional strengthening has been facilitated, enabling the scaling up of environmental solutions with high international standards. This network structure is fundamental for mobilizing capital on a large scale and ensuring that the impact of investments translates into effective management of natural capital in the territories.
Among the most significant achievements in the region is the capacity to implement innovative financing mechanisms. The evolution of these funds positions Latin America as a global leader in climate finance, demonstrating that effective conservation is a profitable investment that underpins economic activity and sustainable human development on the continent.
Main photo: The executive director of Fondo Naturaleza Chile, Eugenio Rengifo, together with representatives of environmental funds that are part of RedLAC, the President of the Mexican Fund for Nature Conservation and of the network of environmental funds of Latin America and the Caribbean, RedLAC, Renée González Montagut; and the executive director and president of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Diego Mesa Puyo.
Access and download the GEF document here
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