Washington DC, 17 April 2026 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) today formally joined the ENACT Partnership (Enhancing Nature-based Solutions for an Accelerated Climate Transformation), expanding the partnership’s reach into the domain of inclusive and sustainable industrial development. 

ENACT was launched at UNFCCC COP27 in November 2022 by the Egyptian Presidency, in collaboration with the Government of Germany and the IUCN. It brings together a growing coalition of state and non-state actors committed to accelerating the implementation and financing of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as a response to the interlinked climate, biodiversity, and land degradation crises. NbS are actions that protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems to address societal challenges effectively and adaptively.

Gunther Beger, Managing Director, UNIDO, said: “We are proud to collaborate with IUCN, a global leader in nature conservation. Today, we make one step further by joining hands with a true global coalition, leveraged by IUCN and the governments of Egypt and Germany, to enhance NbS for an accelerated climate transformation under the ENACT Partnership.” 

“IUCN is pleased to see the ENACT Partnership continue to expand, bringing in partners whose expertise is critical to scaling climate action through NbS. UNIDO’s engagement strengthens our collective ability to bridge nature and industry, and to accelerate the finance, innovation, and implementation needed to deliver climate transformation at scale”, said Tracy Farrell, IUCN North America Regional Director.

Industry and agrifood systems together account for nearly two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet this very scale signals transformative potential. Integrating NbS into industrial and agrifood value chains enables businesses to reduce environmental footprints, enhance resource efficiency, create green jobs and strengthen climate resilience across supply chains. Industrial actors are uniquely positioned to drive innovation and investment in NbS by aligning sustainability goals with profitability.

“UNIDO’s mandate to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development, particularly in emerging and developing economies, makes it a strategic bridge between the NbS community and the private sector, capable of mainstreaming nature-positive practices across productive ecosystems at scale. It is a privilege to work together with IUCN and support this important agenda.” Karim ould Chih, Division Chief Innovative Finance and International Financial Institutions at UNIDO.

“We are delighted to welcome UNIDO into the ENACT Partnership. Their expertise and leadership in sustainable industrial development and inclusive green growth will significantly strengthen ENACT’s ability to scale NbS for climate transformation. This collaboration will enable faster, more integrated action on climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation — delivering lasting benefits for both people and the planet.”- Ali Raza Rizvi, IUCN Climate Change and Energy Transition Director.

Closing the financing gap

Despite their proven potential, NbS face a structural financing gap: UNEP estimates a USD 4.1 trillion global investment shortfall by 2050, with private sector contributions representing only 11% of current NbS finance flows. NbS remain a novel asset class that lacks institutional accommodation in most financial institutions, falling between infrastructure and real asset categories. UNIDO will contribute to ENACT’s financing agenda, leveraging its network of financial institutions and its expertise in structuring financial mechanisms and de-risking instruments for industrial development. 

As the world’s leading authority on the conservation status of species and ecosystems, IUCN developed the Global Standard for NbS and has been central to embedding NbS within international climate and biodiversity frameworks, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). ENACT, under IUCN’s stewardship, has assembled a coalition of 27 state and non-state partners co-designing an action-based agenda to amplify NbS commitments, bring coherence to fragmented initiatives, facilitate policy dialogue across the Rio Conventions, and build a collective narrative around the value of NbS, including through the publication of a State of Nature-based Solutions report for COP Presidencies.

UNIDO has been progressively integrating NbS into its technical assistance portfolio across green infrastructure and eco-industrial parks, circular economy and resource efficiency, agro-industries and regenerative agriculture, and innovation ecosystems for bio-based materials. Joining ENACT formalises UNIDO’s NbS engagement at the multilateral level and provides a platform to share expertise, contribute to the global NbS agenda, and collaborate with new partners to jointly address the challenge.
 

For more information, please contact:
Karim ould Chih 
Chief of the Division of Innovative Finance & International Financial Institutions
Ali Raza Rizvi
Director of the Global Climate Change and Energy Transition Team