It’s time to utilise ethical private finance to tackle our dual crises – Statement

Workshop at the Siggen Seminar 2023

Published on: 27/03/23

From 20 – 22nd of March, 15 participants from 12 countries came together in Gut Siggen to explore how we can upscale nature restoration through private finance during the 2023 EUROPARC Siggen Seminar.

Parks unlocked; Innovative Financing to Transform Parks across Europe.

The participants took a deep dive into models that attract private finance to unlock and drive nature restoration at scale. In particular, looking at the role Parks can play in building the market for investing in Europe’s natural capital. The time is now to take advantage of that € billion opportunity!

Together, they wrote a statement, underlying the urgency to act now, directed at the Protected Area Community, the European Commission, National and Regional parks Administrations and the Green Investment Sector:

“We, representing a cross-section of Protected Areas in Europe, have come together to unlock emerging opportunities to attract ethical private finance at scale and pace, to meet the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss and catalyse nature restoration across Europe.

Our 15 participants from 12 countries stress the need for the Protected Area community to become “investment ready”, by creating a shared vision to turn nature restoration projects into investable business models, in order to access private finance from the ethical and green investment sector.

The need to act is now.

Together we aim to develop an innovative financing model, where private investment enhances and supplements public funds, creating social and environmental benefits with a financial return. Looking beyond our boundaries, working across biogeographical zones and utilising national and regional protected area network, we commit to collective thinking and action in order to access the billions of ethical finances available. Partnerships with the financial sector is a necessity. A clear policy and ethical framework will inform who we partner with and support the development of ambitious and high integrity nature restoration projects, in and around Protected Areas.

We will advance the development and testing of a model of innovative financing, to attract investment at scale. We want to test and develop this model to roll it out across Europe.

This process will begin with a two-year project, to map and analyse the market actors, the demand for ecosystem services, the policy environment, including carbon mechanisms and codes to support the design of high-quality natural capital projects, as well as identify pilot sites. Funding from European, national and regional administrations would help and enable your areas to Unlock not just the Parks – but the investment needed to create the resilient, healthy nature that we all need.”

The statement was signed by representatives of

EUROPARC Federation

Palladium

Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional – NORTE, Portugal

Directorate General of Nature and Biodiversity. Government of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

National Park Harz, Germany

Czech Society for Ornithology, Czech Republic

Foreste Casentinesi National Park – Italy

Triglav National Park, Slovenia

UNDP/ Sustainability of Protected Areas, Bosnia and Herzegovina

NatureScot, Scotland

Download the statement here