50 Investible Opportunities for a New Nature Economy 2026

ACTION 5ACTION 4 Foster innovation in financial products and delivery models where needed Build coalitions across companies, private finance, and public and philanthropic actors, matched to each opportunity’s risk-return profileMany opportunities in the list can be financed using familiar instruments, such as corporate loans, project finance or sustainability-linked products, with terms and conditions adjusted to reflect nature-related performance where relevant, rather than defaulting to bespoke or complex structures. In practice, a share of nature-relevant investment already flows through general purpose facilities (e.g. corporate lines or balance sheet loans) where proceeds are not ring-fenced. Recognising this helps set realistic expectations: that nature- positive financing will continue to be embedded in mainstream products, even if only a subset is formally labelled or structured around “nature”. For opportunities with different risk profiles, particularly early-stage ventures facing technology, performance or demand uncertainty, financial institutions should design targeted solutions and blended capital structures. Standardizing operational uplifts to speed up origination and reduce transaction costs, while derisking tools (e.g. insurance, advanced market commitments, guarantees) can be deployed where needed. For ecosystem-scale opportunities that depend on shared assets or enabling conditions – such as common logistics, shared treatment infrastructure or supportive policy implementation – institutions should explore delivery models that finance these enablers alongside core projects. This can ensure that individual investments sit within a viable systemic context, in which to succeed and scale up. Nature-positive investible opportunities span very different risk-return profiles and capital intensities, from low-risk efficiency upgrades to high-risk ecosystem restoration and landscape collaborations. For emerging and ecosystem archetypes in particular, multi-actor solutions are often required to overcome high capital needs and uncertainties around technology, offtake or regulation. Individual institutions may lack the capacity or capabilities to tackle complex opportunities alone. Financial institutions can work with public and philanthropic partners to develop multi-stakeholder financing platforms that pool resources and expertise. These platforms can offer bespoke risk-mitigation instruments – such as credit guarantees, performance bonds or insurance products – and use targeted policy measures and innovative financial tools to make complex investments financeable at scale. Orchestration across value chains can build new ecosystems and match supply and demand where offtake is uncertain. New technologies and business models with significant potential often struggle to secure early demand and confidence. Established companies can partner with innovators through pilots that test solutions in real settings, back them with supportive procurement and share best practices and case studies. This combination of practical experimentation, demand signalling and knowledge sharing helps reduce uncertainty and accelerates the scale-up of successful nature- positive solutions. 50 Investible Opportunities for a New Nature Economy 36