Commissioner Roswall's speech at the event, ‘From Principles to International Cooperation: Mobilising Biodiversity Finance through High-Integrity Nature Credits'

Excellencies, Ministers, Executive Secretary Schomaker, distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted to welcome you to today's high-level event, together with our co-hosts, France and Peru.

Let me begin by thanking Armenia for gathering us under the banner “Taking Action for Nature” – a theme that speaks to the urgency of the moment.

Our natural world is the bedrock of our economic security, food and energy security, health and so much more.

It is under massive threat – and we need concrete action to protect and restore it.

COP17 is an important step in that journey.  

For the first time, Parties are reviewing the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

We need to turn our commitments into results by 2030.

And significantly more innovative financial resources.

Remember, this is an investment in our future – one that will repay us a thousandfold.

Public finance and international biodiversity finance are essential.

But we need to mobilise private investment.

More and more business and banks are engaging

We need to create better incentives for those who protect, restore and manage nature.

This is where high-integrity nature credits come in.

Too often, those who protect, restore or maintain healthy ecosystems bear the costs of their efforts, while the benefits extend far beyond their land or communities.

Nature credits can help to get this right.

They recognise and reward measurable contributions to biodiversity, while creating opportunities for farmers, foresters, fishers, land managers, Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

They show that protecting our environment can pay – in the short term as well as the longer term.

The European Union is determined to maximise this potential.

In July 2025, we adopted our Roadmap towards Nature Credits.

We have established an Expert Group on Nature Credits.

We are examining biodiversity metrics, governance, market demand and financing, and the conditions for credible claims.