Canada’s international biodiversity financing

Protecting biodiversity, building strong sustainable economies
Canada’s global efforts to reduce biodiversity loss
International Climate Finance
Global Environment Facility
International Biodiversity Program
Guiding principles
Subprograms
Expected results
Project list
Stories highlighting the program’s results

Protecting biodiversity, building strong economies

Biodiversity is the variety of all living things on earth, such as plants, animals, and people, and the ecosystems they form.

Nature includes biodiversity, as well as water, air, land, and climate. It gives us important benefits, such as clean air, fresh water, food, medicine, and healthy soil.

Healthy ecosystems support key industries like farming, forestry, fishing, and tourism. These industries are important for jobs and the economy in Canada and around the world. It is estimated that more than half of the global economy depends on nature.

However, nature is under threat. Since 1970, global animal populations have dropped by 69%. People are using natural resources faster than nature can regenerate them. Climate change is also making biodiversity loss worse.

Canada recognizes that protecting biodiversity helps build a strong economy and a healthier, more resilient Canada for all Canadians.

Most of the world’s biodiversity is found in developing countries. Protecting it brings benefits both globally and in Canada.

When biodiversity is lost, it affects food supply, trade, and climate systems. This can lead to higher food prices, increased risk of pandemics, and more severe climate impacts in Canada.

Biodiversity loss also makes it harder for farmers to grow food, especially as the climate changes and pests and diseases spread.

If nothing is done to stop it, biodiversity loss will undo decades of progress in reducing poverty. Women and girls are often affected the most, especially if they depend on natural resources for their livelihoods.

Canada’s global efforts to reduce biodiversity loss

Canada is taking action around the world. Canada supports solutions that are inclusive and led by local communities. These efforts help people adapt to climate change, improve food security, create jobs, and protect the environment.

Canada works with partners to deliver results for people and the planet.

Global Affairs Canada supports biodiversity through:

funding climate programs that include nature-based solutions
contributing to the Global Environment Facility, which supports environmental projects worldwide
Canada’s International Biodiversity Program, which supports the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

These efforts show Canada’s commitment to protecting biodiversity through coordinated action.

International Climate Finance

Canada recognizes that protecting biodiversity is closely linked to mitigating and adapting to climate change.

At the G7 Leaders’ Summit in 2021, Canada announced $5.3 billion in international climate finance to be disbursed between 2021 and March 31, 2026. At least 20% of this funding supports nature-based solutions.

This means about $1 billion over 5 years dedicated to initiatives that protect biodiversity and help communities adapt.

Examples include:

planting trees to absorb carbon
restoring mangrove forests to protect coastlines from rising seas and storm surges
investing in community-led fishery management to leverage locally led solutions
training farmers in sustainable methods
conserving and restoring land to reduce the impact of climate disasters

Global Environment Facility

Canada is contributing $241.8 million to the eighth replenishment cycle of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-8, 2022-26). This fund is the official financial mechanism of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and other multilateral environment agreements.

The GEF-8 total, which includes funds from a range of sources like governments and the private sector, reached US$5.33 billion. 36% of the fund supports biodiversity, and over 60% supports other environmental issues like land degradation.

The fund also works with businesses. It uses innovative financing tools to attract private investment and improve how the private sector operates.

International Biodiversity Program

In December 2022, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Countries agreed on this global plan to protect nature by 2030 and fulfill the shared vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.

Canada announced the $350 million International Biodiversity Program (2023-2026) to support this plan. It is Canada’s first funding commitment dedicated to international biodiversity, to support the implementation of the framework.

The program focuses on conserving, preserving, and restoring biodiversity. It addresses key causes such as land- and sea-use changes, the overexploitation of species, invasive species, and pollution.

Canada works with Canadian, Indigenous, and international partners through this program.

The International Biodiversity Program is no longer accepting funding requests.

Guiding principles
The program follows 3 main principles:
- show Canadian leadership in conserving, restoring and using nature responsibly
- mobilize funding from philanthropic and private sector organizations
- support marginalized communities, while promoting gender equality and Indigenous leadership
Subprograms
The International Biodiversity Program includes two subprograms.
Global Biodiversity Framework Fund
This fund supports biodiversity projects in developing countries. It was established at COP15 to support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in developing countries. It is managed by the Global Environment Facility.
Canada was the first country to pledge funding, announcing its $200 million contribution at the 7th Global Environment Facility Assembly in Vancouver in 2023.
The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund has 3 critical innovations:
- up to 20% of funding supports projects led by Indigenous Peoples, and local communities
- 25% of funding is delivered through international financial institutions to attract private investment
- prioritizes support for the most vulnerable regions of the world, i.e. small island developing states and least developed countries. These countries receive 36% of available resources, plus an additional 3% where capacity exists to effectively use the funding.
Partnering for Nature
This program supports projects that:
- address biodiversity needs at local, regional or global levels
- include gender equality considerations in their design and implementation
- align with Canada's international biodiversity finance priorities and the thematic areas of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Expected results
Canada’s International Biodiversity Program uses quality data and evidence to track progress and improve results. It reflects the evolving nature of biodiversity science, policy development, and the international biodiversity finance landscape.
It aims to:
- help developing countries protect ecosystems and biodiversity
- conserve and restore land, water, and marine environments
- promote inclusive and sustainable use of natural resources
- strengthen policies, planning, implementation, and monitoring in alignment with the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
- support women, girls, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities in leading biodiversity efforts
Text version
Ultimate outcome: Improved health of biodiversity and key ecosystems on which people depend, especially the poorest and most vulnerable
Policy objectives / impact goals
- Reducing threats to and enhancing biodiversity
  Programming areas:
  - conservation areas protection
  - degraded areas restoration
  - threatened species protection
  - pollution reduction (e.g., excess nutrients, chemicals, plastics)
  - invasive species impact reduction
- Meeting people’s needs through sustainable use and benefit-sharing
  Programming areas:
  - wild species management that enhances biodiversity and protects customary sustainable use
  - sustainable use of land and sea for the benefit of people and biodiversity
  - nexus of biodiversity and food security
  - urban green and blue spaces
- Providing tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming
  Programming areas:
  - development and updating of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans
  - policy, legal, administrative or regulatory framework development for sustainable production/consumption
  - financial and non-financial incentives for biodiversity conservation
  - technology transfer

Projected list

Project Title	International Biodiversity Program contribution	*Global Affairs Canada total contribution	Country/Countries	Executing agency/ies
* Where applicable, International Biodiversity funding has been complemented by other sources of Global Affairs Canada funding.
Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF)	$200,000,000	$200,000,000	Global	Global Environment Facility
PROBLUE: Global program for the blue economy	$5,000,000	$5,000,000	Global	World Bank
Conserva Aves	$8,000,000	$15,100,000	Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and Peru	Birds Canada
Supporting the protection of marine biodiversity within the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean	$6,700,000	$6,700,000	Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico	Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and WildAid
Biodiversity & Livelihood Opportunities for Ethnic Minority Women (BLOOM)	$1,627,360	$10,000,000	Vietnam	SOCODEVI and Desjardins International Development
Building Resilient Communities through Marine Biodiversity Conservation in Madagascar	$1,477,226	$2,537,963	Madagascar	World Wildlife Fund Canada
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)	$19,240,000	$19,240,000	Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, Lao PDR, Peru, and Thailand	Conservation International
Restoring African Rangelands	$10,000,000	$10,000,000	Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe	Conservation International
Community-Based Conservation of Costal-Marine Biodiversity in Honduras	$7,000,000	$13,350,000	Honduras	International Union for Conservation of Nature
Biodiversity Ecosystem Restoration for Community Resilience in the Chittagong Hill Tracts	$12,500,000	$12,500,000	Bangladesh	United Nations Development Programme
Biodiversity for Resilient Ecosystems in Agricultural Landscapes (BREAL)	$9,500,00	$9,500,000	Kenya, Peru, and Colombia	Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans Accelerator Partnership	$3,000,000	$3,000,000	Antigua and Barbuda, Comoros, Costa Rica, Eswatini, Thailand, Tajikistan, and Togo	United Nations Environment Programme
Enhanced sustainability of biodiversity and livelihoods in Ghana	$500,000	$8,750,000	Ghana	Wilder Institute - Calgary Zoo
Protecting marine Biodiversity in Aqaba	$7,000,000	$7,000,000	Jordan	United Nations Development Programme
Empowering stewardship in the Coral Triangle	$6,000,000	$11,150,000	Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste	The Nature Conservancy
Global plastic action partnership- international biodiversity program 2024 to 2026	$10,000,000	$10,000,000	Nigeria, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, India, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam	World Economic Forum
Podong Indigenous Peoples Initiative	$7,000,000	$7,000,000	Guatemala, Panama, Tanzania, and Nepal	International Union for Conservation of Nature
UNMPTF for the Brazilian Legal Amazon	$17,413,677	$17,413,677	Brazil	United Nations Development Programme
Global Fire Management Hub	$8,504,314	$8,504,314	Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru	Food and Agriculture Organization

Stories highlighting the program’s results

Date modified:: 2026-07-16

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