Work

Enabling Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to Finance EU Nature Restoration

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: As pressure on public funding increases, and as nature-related risks increasingly affect economic sectors, this brief examines how well-designed Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) can help mobilise private capital for nature restoration in the EU while creating longterm ecological, economic and societal value. It outlines the policy conditions needed to make such partnerships credible, scalable and aligned with public interest and ecological integrity. Key messages Growing competition for public funding will put financial resources dedicated to the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) at risk; Nature underpins economic sectors that have the capacity, and can act as an incentive, to invest in nature restoration; Limits and risks embedded in the policy landscape may undermine engagement of private sectors in nature restoration financing; Public-Private Partnerships can facilitate private investment and support transformative change in nature financing; This brief proposes recommendations to support PPPs, strengthen policy coherence, and establish good practice. Correction notice: 26 October 2026 The policy brief incorrectly refers to €65 billion as the funding gap for nature restoration. This figure represents the estimated funding needs for nature restoration, rather than the funding gap.

Source: Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21360185