From Wildfire Risk to Resilience The Investment Case for Action 2026

Conclusion Wildfires represent a complex, multifaceted risk with no single solution. For people and businesses in highly fire-exposed communities, wildfire can be an existential threat, endangering lives, homes, livelihoods and critical infrastructure. Recent reviews caution that escalating heat and drought – amplified by wildfire activity – may increase the risk of tipping-point behaviour in major forest systems, including the Amazon and parts of the boreal.96 Real-life case studies cited in this paper point to a path where shifting from wildfire response to prevention leads to favourable environmental, economic and community outcomes across regions. The pillars outlined in this paper showcase that wildfire resilience is investable when it is measurable, standardized and shared across the wildfire stakeholder ecosystem. 1. Finance and investment translate prevention into price and capital. 2. Nature-based solutions restore ecosystems, reduce fire risk and deliver co-benefits for water, biodiversity, climate and local livelihoods. 3. Data, technology and governance help inform and accelerate effective wildfire prevention interventions and investment. 4. Community action and access ensure solutions are co-beneficial, sustainable and widely adopted. Rather than working in isolation, an integrated wildfire resilience approach brings these investment pathways together to create shared value among actors and communities. It creates a shared system of risk reduction, where prevention, mitigation and adaptation are valued and financed collectively. Scaling wildfire resilience Resilience moves through design, delivery and institutionalization. When proof of prevention flows through the financial system, incentives change. Verified outcomes, such as fewer fires or reduced losses, support lower insurance premiums and alternative finance. In this way, prevention becomes self-reinforcing. The more accurately prevention is measured, the more effectively it can be financed. Key priorities for action Across all pillars, five priorities emerge to guide efforts: –Set common standards for measuring avoided losses, ecosystem health and equity outcomes. –Mobilize blended finance through revolving funds, resilience bonds and community aggregation models. –Invest in AI and open data systems as public infrastructure that enables faster detection, more accurate prediction and effective intervention. –Empower local capacity by financing long-term workforce training, Indigenous stewardship and community governance. –Embed resilience in policy and markets so prevention becomes a core feature of climate finance and sustainable development. Wildfires are a global challenge that transcends borders, communities and sectors. They require a whole-of-society approach rooted in collaboration, investment and innovation. By strengthening wildfire resilience, it is possible to transform shared risk into shared opportunity, building environmental, economic and social stability, and enabling communities to not only withstand wildfire impacts, but thrive over the long term. From Wildfire Risk to Resilience: The Investment Case for Action 27