FINANZAS Policy Brief

This policy brief, produced by Transforma and WWF, analyzes the structural barriers to climate and biodiversity financing in Latin America and the Caribbean. It argues that current global financial flows are insufficient, poorly distributed, and lack the accessibility needed to support vulnerable communities and nature-based solutions. The document proposes a shift toward 'just financing' that prioritizes quality, accessibility, and the alignment of national fiscal policies with environmental goals ahead of COP30.

• Global biodiversity financing targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) include mobilizing at least USD 200 billion annually from all sources by 2030, increasing international flows to developing countries to USD 20 billion by 2025 and USD 30 billion by 2030, and reforming at least USD 500 billion in harmful subsidies annually by 2030.
• Climate financing exhibits a severe imbalance, with 93% of the record USD 1.9 trillion in 2023 global financing directed toward mitigation, while adaptation received only 3.4% and dual-benefit actions 3.1%.
• Latin America and the Caribbean receives a disproportionately small share of global climate finance, receiving only USD 105 billion (5.5%), with a strong internal bias where 61% of flows are national and 39% international. Furthermore, only approximately 3% (USD 3 billion) of regional funding is directed toward agriculture, forests, and land use, as over two-thirds is concentrated in energy and transport.
• Biodiversity financing has seen mixed results between 2015 and 2022; while developed countries increased Official Development Assistance (ODA) for biodiversity by 8% to 27%, financing specifically targeting biodiversity as the primary objective actually fell by 17%.
• The document identifies several structural barriers hindering effective financing in the region, including high capital costs, currency exposure, low concessionality, and complex access requirements at multilateral windows.
• The brief proposes several innovative financing mechanisms to close the resource gap, including debt-for-climate/nature swaps (with a potential mobilization of up to USD 100 billion), Finance for Permanence (PFP) projects, and the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF), a Brazil-led initiative with a proposed initial capital of USD 125 billion.
• To achieve systemic change, the authors recommend that regional countries implement integrated national financing strategies that align fiscal policy and land-use planning with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), National Adaptation Plans (NAP), and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP).

APA

Acuña, J. S., García, A. M., Carbajal, A. L., Villanueva, J., Laverde, L. F. F., Rey, M. X. B., & Rivadeneira, M. I. (2024). FINANZAS Policy Brief. Transforma. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Policy-Brief_Finanzas_Transforma_WWF_2025.pdf

Chicago

Acuña, Jimena Solano, Angélica Mateus García, Alejandra López Carbajal, Jessica Villanueva, Luisa Fernanda Forero Laverde, Maria Ximena Barrera Rey, and María Inés Rivadeneira. FINANZAS Policy Brief. Transforma, 2024. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Policy-Brief_Finanzas_Transforma_WWF_2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Acuña |first1=Jimena Solano |last2=García |first2=Angélica Mateus |last3=Carbajal |first3=Alejandra López |last4=Villanueva |first4=Jessica |last5=Laverde |first5=Luisa Fernanda Forero |last6=Rey |first6=Maria Ximena Barrera |last7=Rivadeneira |first7=María Inés |title=FINANZAS Policy Brief |publisher=Transforma |date=2024 |url=https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Policy-Brief_Finanzas_Transforma_WWF_2025.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{acua2024finanzas, author = {Acuña, Jimena Solano and García, Angélica Mateus and Carbajal, Alejandra López and Villanueva, Jessica and Laverde, Luisa Fernanda Forero and Rey, Maria Ximena Barrera and Rivadeneira, María Inés}, title = {{FINANZAS Policy Brief}}, institution = {Transforma}, year = {2024}, url = {https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Policy-Brief_Finanzas_Transforma_WWF_2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }