ObjectivesFund scope
Ecosystem degradation across the world is negatively affecting the well-being of 3.2 billion people and draining over 10% of the annual global gross product in loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Authors behind the latest IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystems found an unprecedented rate of decline in global ecosystem health and biodiversity and, in many regions, losing soil fertility and wetlands (up to 70% worldwide) and desertification are our “new normal.” This degradation of ecosystems limits livelihood prospects, increases emissions of atmospheric greenhouse gases, and limits the supply of ecosystem goods and services that build global climate resilience for all societies.
Investing in ecosystem restoration can generate returns well above (tenfold) the cost of initial investments. Large-scale ecosystem restoration ventures can be a major economic stimulus for national economies and also assist in COVID-19 recovery. Regarding climate resilience, we estimate that nature-based solutions provide approximately a third of cost-effective climate change mitigation needed to achieve many 2030 objectives. Financing ecosystem restoration is a fast-track pathway for helping changemakers transform resource dependent societies to low-carbon ones, while also clearing alternative paths for shaking up transport, housing, industry, and food and energy production sectors. In this context, supporting women in low and middle-income countries (who are responsible 60-80% of food production) and Indigenous communities (stewards of 80%) of the world's biodiverse lands will be of critical importance.
The UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration MPTF acts as a catalyst, convener and contributor to critical and targeted interventions that deliver highly visible, integrated, effective, and sustainable processes and results. Stakeholders work on shifting risk perceptions and increasing overall investment readiness towards ecosystem restoration at a planetary scale, which is in alignment with Decade for Ecosystem aims to act as an engine and connector of the existing restoration efforts that also offer economic security and progress through the provision of jobs and increased supply of goods and services, sustainably.
Stakeholders springboard from their unique platform to enhance coordinated approaches that upscale ecosystem restoration efforts worldwide and inspire decision makers to make major changes that improve the current environment for upcycling restoration investments at large scales. Primary aims of the MPTF are to combat declining biodiversity, support livelihoods, enhance natural resource bases, and adapt to and mitigate climate change through restoration of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems globally. Action supports global, local networking; capacity development; communication; documentation of technical knowledge; dissemination of lessons learned; up-scaling of successful ecosystem restoration initiatives; developing innovative approaches to financing of ecosystem restoration and developing new business models for restoring ecosystems and generating economic returns. All investments are designed to reduce migration/displacement and resource conflicts.
Theory of change and strategic framework
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Fund brings about a transformative change in ecosystem restoration around the world. The overarching vision is to shape a world where—for the health and well-being of all life on earth, including future generations—the relationship between humans and nature has been restored by increasing the area of healthy ecosystems and stopping their loss and degradation. Given the cross-sector and multi-disciplinary nature of ecosystem restoration, the strategy and theory of change of the Decade for Ecosystem MPTF informs programme framework and logic, from outputs and outcomes to achieve sought after goals. Fund stakeholders work towards a common five-year goal of establishing policies for, and allocating resources to, ecosystem restoration and interventions at scale, which are also implemented worldwide. To reach this goal, partners take action under the following three integrated outcome areas:
- A global movement established and catalyzing ecosystem restoration initiatives, political will, exchange of knowledge and cross sectoral collaboration for ecosystem restoration.
- Increased capacity and capability in private, public sector and civil society for policy reform, to catalyze investments and to access resources are resulting in restoration actions on the ground and implementation within flagship programmes.
- Results documented and shared, through monitoring and reporting of biophysical and socio-economic elements of sustainable ecosystem restoration and influencing activities for ecosystem restoration.
The Fund is a tool for implementing core and strategic interventions that catalyze greater stakeholder action and investments to at global, regional, national and local levels—ultimately resulting in ecosystem restoration on a large scale and supporting the Decade for Restoration vision. The theory of change and communication strategy are held up by the principles of ‘New Power’ and overcoming existing barriers related to public awareness, social and cultural norms, economic systems, public and private investments, collaboration, technical knowledge and capacity, legal and policy frameworks, and land tenure/resource rights.
One assumption underpinning the strategy is that a movement for restoration and other investments in nature-based solutions is emerging within civil society (particularly amongst youth groups), international and local NGOs, governments, and the private sector. Fund stakeholders will encourage, inform, build, and capitalize on this emerging movement with the aim of strengthening capacities, understanding, political will and local action.
> $55M 
$55M - $25M
$25M - $5M
< $5M
