$8.1 Trillion Required by 2050 To Tame Global Ecological Crisis

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released “The State of Finance for Nature” (SFN), a report warning that countries should invest up to US$8.1 trillion until 2050 to arrest climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation.

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An annual investment of US$536 billion is required between now and 2050 to help plug a US$4.1 trillion financing gap that could derail the realization of a low-carbon and sustainable future.

"If we do not sufficiently finance nature-based solutions, we will impact the capacities of countries to make progress on other vital areas such as education, health, and employment," said Inger Andersen, UNEP executive director.

Biodiversity loss alone is costing the global economy 10 percent of its output annually, adding that governments and industry should invest in ecosystem restoration whose spin-off effects include improved human health, food security, and shared prosperity.

Fiscal incentives are required to unlock capital flows towards nature-based interventions geared towards promoting climate resilience and the creation of green jobs. Investments in reforestation, landscape restoration, and enhanced conservation of marine life will directly benefit communities through food and water security, disaster mitigation, and improved health.

The SFN report says that more than half of global GDP is dependent on nature, adding that increasing investments in regenerative agriculture and peatlands conservation is a prerequisite to sustain growth and combat pollution.

A radical transformation in production and consumption systems is urgent to halt the depletion of vital ecosystems that has exposed communities to climatic shocks, hunger, poverty, and infectious diseases.

Government policies related to trade, taxation combined with private sector investments should place a premium on nature protection to realize sustainability.

The UNEP recommends tax waivers to unlock public and private sector investments in nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, pollution, and habitat loss.