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Ukraine joins UNDP’s global Biodiversity Finance Initiative, BIOFIN
Ukraine covers only 6% of Europe’s territory, yet it is home to 35% of the continent’s biodiversity. At the same time, the full-scale war has caused unprecedented damage to Ukraine’s nature: more than 30% of protected areas, around 900 sites and 1.2 million hectares, have already been affected by hostilities.
To strengthen nature protection and establish a sustainable financing system for conservation efforts, the United Nations Development Programme and the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture have launched the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) in Ukraine.
100+ participants joined the BIOFIN inception workshop, including representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Policy, the European Commission, Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN), the Embassy of Germany and the EU Delegation to Ukraine, as well as NGOs and representatives of 40+ national parks.
With initial funding from Germany, BIOFIN will support Ukraine in developing a Biodiversity Finance Plan, piloting innovative financing mechanisms, and scaling up solutions for sustainable development.