The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Paulson Institute and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) jointly launched Unlocking Private Finance for Nature as Infrastructure: A Public-Private Partnership, a report that sets out in practical terms how countries and financial institutions can integrate nature into infrastructure planning and mobilize private capital at scale through standardized Public-Private Partnerships for Nature (PPPNs). The work includes contributions from Morphosis and NatureFinance.
The report’s central proposition is the need to treat high-integrity ecosystems as infrastructure-grade investable public assets, and shows how to protect and build their value through long-term contracts with measurable ecological performance. It stresses the need for governments to embed nature into national plans and budgets, and how PPPNs can align public objectives with private expertise, with guarantees, insurance solutions and biodiversity credits helping to improve bankability and crowd in institutional investors.
It also outlines roles for multilateral development banks (MDBs) to help de-risk early transactions, support pipeline development and align policy, regulation and disclosure with nature outcomes that underpin development.
“We must move beyond abstract concepts of nature protection and recognize ecosystems as infrastructure – turning them into investable, high-integrity asset classes,” said Jin Liqun, President and Chair of the Board of Directors, AIIB. “MDBs have a critical role in realizing this shift by embedding nature into planning, finance and governance at scale.”
The report emphasizes practical delivery: integrating ecosystems into national infrastructure pipelines; specifying outcome-based contracts and monitoring; and using fiscal and regulatory measures to provide market clarity. It also provides guidance on integrity: protecting Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities through land and data rights, and guaranteeing Free, Prior and Informed Consent or similarly internationally recognized standards and fair benefit-sharing – so that nature finance scales credibly and inclusively.
The report is also clear that private sector investment in nature will happen at the necessary scale only if governments appropriately value nature, penalizing those who damage and destroy it and rewarding those who protect and restore it.
Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Founder and Chairman, Paulson Institute, emphasized, “At this critical crossroads, for essential action to happen at scale, governments must lead the way and set the rules that drive investment towards nature protection and restoration and away from damage and destruction. This work is not optional – it’s foundational. Nature is not a luxury. It’s not free. It’s our support system. And it’s disappearing before our eyes. We must act – not someday, not incrementally. Now.”
The partners identify priority applications, such as watershed resilience, coastal protection and forest conservation, where PPPNs can aggregate projects, reduce transaction costs and deliver measurable resilience benefits. They highlight how guarantees and insurance can protect performance over time and how high-integrity biodiversity credits can create outcome-linked revenue streams within PPPN platforms where appropriate.
“To scale investment in nature, we must build financial partnerships that deliver measurable outcomes. That means deploying the full suite of catalytic tools in ways that attract private capital and align public ambition with market expertise,” said Odile Renaud-Basso, President, EBRD.
The report addresses sovereign considerations, including the integration of natural capital into public financial management and the potential for improved credit profiles as natural assets are better managed and valued.
The partners of this report will work with governments, regulators, MDBs, banks and investors to translate the report’s guidance into investment-ready PPPN pipelines, integrate guarantees and insurance into platform finance, and support efforts to account for natural capital in sovereign planning and credit frameworks.
About AIIB
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a multilateral development bank dedicated to financing “Infrastructure for Tomorrow,” with sustainability at its core. AIIB began operations in 2016, now has 110 approved members worldwide, is capitalized at USD100 billion, and is AAA-rated by major international credit rating agencies. AIIB collaborates with partners to mobilize capital and invest in infrastructure and other productive sectors that foster sustainable economic development and enhance regional connectivity.
About the Paulson Institute
The Paulson Institute is a non-partisan, independent “think and do tank” advancing economic prosperity, sustainable growth and global resilience in an era of change. Founded in 2011 by former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., the Institute brings together a diverse team of experts operating at the intersection of economics, financial markets and environmental protection. Through rigorous analysis, market-based solutions and strategic convenings, it drives low-carbon growth, green finance and effective global cooperation. Based in Chicago with offices in Washington and Beijing, the Institute is privately funded and grounded in independence, credibility and pragmatic action in a shifting world.
About EBRD
The EBRD is a multilateral bank that promotes the development of the private sector and entrepreneurial initiative in 42 economies across three continents. The Bank is owned by 77 countries as well as the EU and the EIB. EBRD investments are aimed at making the economies in its regions competitive, well governed, green, inclusive, resilient and integrated.
About Morphosis
Morphosis is an insight-led investment business for a climate-impacted world of 1.5°C and beyond. A lighthouse for the Adaptation Economy, Morphosis orchestrates a network of investors, policy stakeholders and adaptation solution businesses, to deliver inclusive and transformative adaptation results at scale.
About NatureFinance
NatureFinance is a non-profit think tank and solutions lab that designs and scales financial tools, policy frameworks, and economic strategies to align global finance with an economy that works for nature, climate and people. By connecting financial innovation to real-economy outcomes, NatureFinance helps build a global financial system that values nature as a foundation of resilience, prosperity and equity.
