Global funding for nature still falling short: Paulson Institute VP

Global environmental challenges such as rising extreme weather and staggering biodiversity loss cannot be solved by any single country and require coordinated global governance, said Deborah Lehr, vice chairman and executive director of the Paulson Institute, during the 2026 Global Governance Forum in Xiongan, Hebei Province.

Lehr noted that major emitters including the United States and China are well positioned to take the lead. While different US administrations may place varying levels of priority on climate issues, the clean technology industry continues to grow, she said. China is emerging as one of the leaders in electric vehicles, solar panels and batteries, dominating the market and delivering positive impacts by helping reduce reliance on traditional combustion engines.

At the same time, Lehr pointed to persistent challenges. According to the institute's latest Financing Nature report, biodiversity loss has continued over the past five years, and the financing gap has widened. The long-term consequences of this imbalance are still unclear, she added.

On a more positive note, she said a growing number of case studies and pilot projects around the world demonstrate that targeted financing can help slow biodiversity loss and even begin to restore species and ecosystems.

In the climate space, she observed that the climate finance has moved from the margins of investment banking to mainstream business over the past decade, with a large number of funds now active. Biodiversity finance is following a similar path but at a much slower pace and often requires government support. Still, she said, "we're starting to see some glimmers of hope" in this area.