Banking on nature: Values-based finance for locally-led, nature-positive adaptation

COP31
18 November 2026, h. 16:45—18:15 TRT (14:45-16:15 CET) | Antalya EXPO Center, Antalya, Türkiye – Side Event Room 9 – SAFRANBOLU

Values-based finance can support locally led climate adaptation and advance nature-positive solutions. The COP31 side event “Banking on nature: Values-based finance for locally-led, nature-positive adaptation” will bring together practical experience in local adaptation finance to share knowledge and scale what works, building a pipeline of bankable, scalable investments.

The event will take place in the COP31 Side Event Room 9 (Blue Zone, Antalya EXPO Center, Antalya, Türkiye) on Wednesday, 18 November, from 16:45 to 18:15 (TRT, UTC+3) and is co-organized by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), and the Dhrubotara Youth Development Foundation (DYDF).

Panelists will discuss how to make finance more accessible to vulnerable communities and help local organisations scale up solutions that have already proved effective, exchanging practical experiences and discuss pathways to strengthen climate resilience and deliver lasting benefits for communities and nature.

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

Healthy ecosystems help protect communities from climate risks and are the building blocks of resilience. Wetlands, mangroves, forests and healthy soils reduce the impacts of floods, storms, droughts and extreme heat, protecting people, livelihoods and assets. As ecosystems degrade and their protective services decline, vulnerable communities become increasingly exposed.

This event will address three gaps that limit access to adaptation finance for vulnerable, and will explore how the loss of nature affects local communities and how banks, insurers and other financial institutions can better recognise the values of nature in reducing climate risks.

Read the concept note and discover more

SPEAKERS:

Amiya Prapan Chakra Borty, Dhrubotara Youth Development Foundation (DYDF);
Golam Rabbani, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research, BRAC University;
Jaroslav Mysiak, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC);
Natalie Donback, Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB);
Ugo Biggeri, Global Alliance for Banking on Values.

This event is supported by the Network Nature project. NetworkNature is a resource for the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) community, fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and strategic action to maximise the impact of NbS in Europe and beyond. NetworkNature clusters and connects more than 100 EU-funded NbS research and innovation projects, including Horizon 2020 and EU Mission initiatives.

This event is one of the several CMCC contributions to COP31, the 31st edition of the Conference of the Parties (COP) organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

COP31 is a major United Nations climate conference that brings together world leaders, non-governmental organizations, and experts to negotiate and advance global actions to address climate change. The conference will focus on implementing international climate agreements and promoting sustainable development through priority actions to tackle the climate crisis.

All side events will be livestreamed on the UN Climate Change events YouTube Channel. Duly registered conference participants can access the YouTube livestream by clicking on the “Watch” button for the respective side event in the COP31 virtual platform. After the livestreaming session, all side events will be available in the same channel for on-demand viewing on YouTube.