This is the conclusion of the latest United Nations (UN) Environment Program (UNEP) report The State of Finance for Nature 2026.
According to the document, the total amount of financial flows associated with activities that destroy nature, per year reaches $7.3 trillion. Private investments amount to $4.9 trillion – primarily they are injected into industry, utilities, energy and production of raw materials. Government subsidies account for $2.4 trillion in fossil fuel extraction, construction, transportation, agriculture and water use.
At the same time, the authors of the report estimate that the world spends thirty times less on conservation-oriented activities. Investment is limited to $220 billion per year, 90% of which comes from the state.
In order to achieve the UN climate and environmental goals by 2030, the amount of funds invested should be increased by 2.5 times, experts have calculated. We are talking about $571 billion a year, which is equal to 0.5% of the world GDP. The organization considers this amount to be quite feasible.
