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The document argues that ecosystems are often managed for short-term gain because their non-marketed services—such as climate and water regulation—are treated as having no value. To address this, it outlines six pathways: mainstreaming ecosystem values in national economic accounts, improving local decision-making through an 'ecosystem service corps', scaling up natural infrastructure for water and coastal defense, increasing corporate investments in the food and beverage sector, using 'restoration bonds' for agricultural landscapes, and utilizing strategic communication following natural disasters to highlight community resilience.

The report argues that while land restoration offers high economic returns—estimated at $7 to $30 for every dollar invested—it remains severely underfunded with an annual gap of approximately $300 billion. It identifies seven systemic barriers to investment, including the lack of market value for public benefits and long investment horizons. The authors recommend a cross-sectoral government approach, the use of carbon taxes to fund restoration, and the implementation of risk-mitigation tools like first-loss guarantees and tax credits to attract private capital. The document also provides a framework for economic valuation to make the full suite of ecosystem services visible to decision-makers.

The document identifies a significant funding gap for nature-based solutions (NbS), noting that current annual investments of USD 200 billion must increase to USD 542 billion by 2030 to meet global goals. Key barriers include a heavy reliance on public finance (over 80%), a lack of bankable models for ecosystem services, and a dearth of business cases for the private sector. To address these, the brief suggests blended finance to mitigate risk, innovative instruments like green and blue bonds, and the use of natural capital accounting to assign economic value to nature's benefits.

The report finds that 48% of Fortune 500 companies have set climate or energy targets, with a notable increase in the smallest quintile of the index. Leading sectors include Consumer Staples, while the Energy sector significantly lags. The report highlights a shift toward science-based targets and 100% renewable energy commitments, noting that 190 companies reported $3.7 billion in annual cost savings from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in 2016. It provides recommendations for companies, policymakers, investors, and the electricity sector to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.

The document details several financial incubators aimed at biodiversity conservation in South Africa. These include the use of tax incentives under the Income Tax Act, biodiversity offsets, carbon payments for grasslands, municipal property rates rebates, and the investigation of green bonds as debt finance instruments. Each incubator provides specific financial estimates for potential funding flows or net benefits ranging from small annual increases to millions of dollars in net present value.