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With three quarters of businesses in the euro area depending on nature, nature credits are emerging as an innovative tool that changes the way we value nature, and an asset attracting investors. Nature credits represent an opportunity for both business and nature restoration simultaneously: they will boost biodiversity and preserve habitats while generating revenue for those who work to protect nature and for investors.<\/p>\n
They offer new income opportunities for farmers, foresters, fishers, landowners and local communities while helping them restore ecosystems and bolster the resilience of their businesses. The range of potential buyers and investors is wide too, from private companies and financial institutions to small investors and public entities.<\/p>\n
President\u00a0von der Leyen<\/strong>\u00a0said:\u00a0We have to put nature on the balance sheet. That’s exactly what nature credits do. When well-designed, they will provide an efficient, market-driven instrument that encourage the private sector to invest and innovate. With investment and innovation, we generate revenue for those who work to protect nature, including our farmers, our landowners, our foresters.<\/em><\/p>\n Nature credits will therefore address the challenge of nature degradation and climate change, while supporting the EU’s broader goals for competitiveness and resilience, as outlined in the\u00a0EU Competitiveness Compass\u00a0and\u00a0Clean Industrial Deal. Already today, climate risk is causing higher insurance costs, damaging supply chains and farms, and could cost businesses up to 7% of their yearly profits in the next decade, if they don’t adapt and support nature preservation.<\/p>\n Way forward<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0Roadmap adopted last July 7 and developed with stakeholders sets out a bottom-up approach which will serve to contribute to closing the current ecological investment gap. Nature credits will complement existing public funding for biodiversity as an additional and voluntary source of financing for nature-positive actions.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Roadmap\u00a0aims to develop\u00a0clear standards and reliable certification for these nature-positive actions\u00a0<\/strong>to make nature credits effective and trustworthy, while avoiding administrative burden when joining such a scheme. It will also draw on already existing standards. Together with robust governance, this is key to avoid greenwashing.<\/p>\n The EU has committed to allocating 10% of its budget to biodiversity by 2026-2027 and doubling its external biodiversity spending to EUR 7 billion. With an estimated EUR 65 billion needed annually for biodiversity investment, blending public and private finance will be essential to deliver results at scale and speed.<\/p>\n The Commission invites all interested parties \u2014 businesses, scientists, governments, and civil society \u2014 to engage in shaping this initiative through an\u00a0open call for feedback\u00a0open until 30 September 2025. To ensure coordinated and inclusive development of a reliable nature credits market, the Commission will establish a new expert group to foster a bottom-up approach that builds on close involvement of concerned stakeholders. The continuous call for expression of interest to join this expert group is launched today. Applications for the first selection phase can be submitted by 10 September 2025 at the latest.<\/p>\n