EIB joins UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and strengthens cooperation with UNEP

The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced on 5 November 2021 that it joins the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration as a Global Partner. The UN Decade calls for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature.

The EIB will also strengthen its cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) by extending the current memorandum of understanding until the end of 2024. The cooperation will focus on climate change, conservation, protection, enhancement and support of nature and natural resources, including biological diversity worldwide, as well as on sustainable finance, in collaboration with the UNEP Finance Initiative.

Nearly 1 million species are at risk of extinction from human activities and 75% of the land surface has been significantly altered by human actions, with severe impacts for our livelihoods, economies, food security, health and quality of life worldwide[1].

At the United Nations Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, UNEP’s Executive Director Inger Andersen and EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle signed the memorandum of understanding and announced the EIB as a new partner of the UN Decade.

The EIB supports projects that protect and conserve biodiversity and ecosystems, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. All EIB projects are screened for their potential impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems and must comply with the biodiversity requirements spelled out in the EIB’s Environmental and Social Standards.

The EIB is committed to enhancing its support for the environment and for protecting and restoring nature in particular.  One example is our investment in the Land Degradation Neutrality Fund – a cornerstone initiative targeting sustainable land use projects, promoted by the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

The EIB also promotes the protection and restoration of marine and freshwater ecosystems through the Clean Oceans Initiative, which identifies projects that reduce pollution in oceans and fight plastic waste in rivers, seas and on land.

The EIB is providing financing and technical support across 11 Sahel countries to improve biodiversity in the Sahel and address climate and environmental challenges facing the region. This enhances the impact of the Great Green Wall initiative in the Sahel, a flagship programme under the UN Decade.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems and restore them to achieve global goals.  Led by UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, The UN Decade is building a strong, broad-based global movement to ramp up restoration and put the world on track for a sustainable future.

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[1] IPBES (2019): Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services