Revenues for Nature Guidebook Series
As part of the Revenues for Nature Programme, GFI, UNEP FI and UNDP Biofin have developed guidebooks for governments, businesses and project developers on existing models that can unlock private sector investment into nature restoration, nature-based solutions and conservation. The aim is to support the replication of successful models globally.
Each guidebook offers detail on the models and their establishment, including key policy and regulatory actions, and demand and supply side enablers. The guidebooks also offer detailed lessons learned and tips for replication.
Four guidebooks launched in 2024, with a further five guidebooks launching in 2025.
The Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) acted as a lead and partner on the US Mitigation Banking Guidebook and Colombia Biodiversity Credits guidebook.
Biodiversity Net Gain, England
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a policy in England that requires major and small developers to deliver a 10% gain in biodiversity. With a focus on the implementation of BNG in the UK, the Guidebook will detail the functioning, challenges and opportunities of BNG in mobilising private sector financing to generate nature positive outcomes. Necessary policy requirements for the rolling out of BNG in various contexts will also be identified.
Wetland Mitigation and Endangered Species Habitat Banking, U.S.
The US has two major offset and compensation systems driven by the Clean Water Act for wetlands and streams, and the Endangered Species Act. Both laws include a goal of “no net loss” and ask for adherence to the mitigation hierarchy, requiring avoidance, then minimisation of impacts, then compensatory mitigation. The Guidebook will detail associated banking mitigation mechanisms and highlight key requirements in successfully replicating and scaling these models.
Nature-based Models for Unlocking Private Investment into Water Quality and Availability, Part 1
This Guidebook introduces a number of models which mobilise private sector financing to improve freshwater quality and availability in a diversity of regions. The Guidebook will describe the key features of these models, focusing on the concrete steps to replicate and scale them along with key barriers and lessons learned. The Guidebook will explore models such as Payments for Ecosystem Services, Compensatory Offsetting, Water Funds and innovative water tariff structures, with examples from Japan, Ecuador, Peru, England, and Kenya.
The establishment of a Habitat Bank system was introduced in Colombia as a way to improve the efficiency of environmental offsets, facilitating the development of collective schemes and allowing environmental authorities to more easily track their progress. This Guidebook details the policies of this model alongside the status of its supply and demand. A comparison with US Mitigation Banking is provided throughout the Guidebook, along with practical lessons learned to inform the replication and scaling of this model.