BIOFIN

Flip the script: Unlock finance to protect and restore biodiversity

Funding programme: Horizon Europe
Total budget: € 4 382 053
Consortium: 14 partners

University of Limerick - Naturalis biodiversity center - Goeteborgs universitet - Universiteit Maastricht - Rainno – SERDA (Sarajevska regionalna razvojna agencija serda doo Sarajevo) - Universita degli studi di Padova - Etifor srl - IST-ID - The Institute of Bankers in Ireland - Sulitest - ILSI Europe – COFAC (Cooperativa de formacao e animacao cultural crl)

Countries: 11

Ireland - Netherlands - Sweden - Greece - Portugal - Bosnia and Herzegovina – Italy – France - Belgium

Start: 1 January 2024 - End: 31 December 2026

Website: biofin-project.eu

Background and Objectives

BIOFIN-EU aims to establish a comprehensive framework and technology that fosters the necessary conditions for nature-positive investments. BIOFIN-EU is actively innovating and experimenting with novel approaches for capturing, aggregating, and analysing biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) data. The goal is to minimise transaction and reporting costs associated with finance that supports the protection and restoration of biodiversity, like Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). If biodiversity is to be placed back on a path to recovery, new tools and knowledge are required to redirect financial resources from destructive economic activity towards nature-positive investment. The financial system consists of interacting and dynamic actors who value certainty (rules and governance structures) and efficiency (outcome transparency and low monitoring costs).

Expected Results

  • BIOFIN-EU Data Analytics & Underwriting Engine to allow discovery, purchase, use and contribution of ES/NBS raw data and provide various analytics services.
  • BIOFIN-EU Database to bring together high-quality biodiversity and Ecosystem Services data from various NBS sources.
  • Policy Recommendations to develop accounting standards, financial services regulation and related policy guidance.
  • BIOFIN-EU Nature Positive Business Model Builder to support the decision-making towards NBS lending/investments.
  • Skills and Knowledge Accelerators to transfer new knowledge through training, business simulation, case studies and mentoring courses of the BIOFIN-EU activities.

Role of ILSI Europe

ILSI Europe will be involved in coordinating collaborative activity with agri-food sector industries and contribute to the multi-actor approach being used in WP4 (Biodiversity-Linked Decision Support: From Data to Financing​) and WP5 (Financial Instrument Design & Business Model Innovation​). BIOFIN-EU activities and outcomes will be communicated
and disseminated through ILSI Europe’s network (WP7: impact maximisation).

For more information, contact Emilie Weynants at: eweynants@ilsieurope.be