Hosted by AKFC, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and NAbSA (Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation: Monitoring & Impact Evaluation) during International Development Week 2026, Day 2 of the Partnering for Climate (P4C) exchange moved beyond strategy into practice — focusing on finance, private sector partnerships and Indigenous-led programming.
The message was clear: scaling nature-positive solutions requires more than ambition. It demands credible evidence, new financing pathways and governance models rooted in community leadership.
When Finance Meets Nature
The morning opened with a frank conversation about the engine behind climate action: finance.
Jason Taylor, Founder and CEO of Climate Finance Advisors, mapped the evolving climate and biodiversity finance landscape, noting a growing shift toward integrated approaches that recognize how closely climate resilience, biodiversity protection and sustainable development are intertwined. But investor interest alone is not enough. Robust metrics, transparent governance and credible monitoring systems remain essential to unlocking capital at scale.
Blended finance — using public or philanthropic funds to reduce risk and attract private investment — featured prominently in the discussion. Participants examined how risk-sharing mechanisms, payments for ecosystem services and carbon market instruments can help channel investment into ecosystems while safeguarding integrity and equity.
Ali Raza Rizvi, IUCN Global Climate Change and Energy Transition Team Director, highlighted one such mechanism: the Global Ecosystem-based Adaptation Fund (Global EbA Fund), co-managed by IUCN and UNEP, with funding from the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). With more than 50 projects worldwide, the Fund supports catalytic ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) initiatives — from climate-resilient agriculture to sustainable coastal enterprises.
One example showcased how blended finance helped develop sustainable shrimp value chains by linking farmers, civil society and private actors — demonstrating that adaptation investments can generate both ecological and economic returns.
Trevor Jones and Jane Boles from Tayo Climate Partners turned attention to Canada’s forest-carbon initiatives, exploring how ecosystem service valuation and carbon markets are creating new revenue streams — alongside complex challenges around measurement, verification and long-term safeguards.
The takeaway: finance must work hand-in-hand with policy alignment, biodiversity indicators and community safeguards to ensure that investments deliver lasting benefits.
From Seaweed to Supply Chains
Grounding theory in practice, Jennifer O’Neill, Cascadia Seaweed NbS Director and partner of the COSME project, shared how marine ecosystems are emerging as powerful climate allies. Seaweed cultivation, she explained, can support carbon sequestration, restore biodiversity and create coastal livelihoods — but only when guided by ecological limits and strong community partnerships.
Her case illustrated a broader theme of the day: nature-positive enterprises can be commercially viable, but scaling them requires clear market demand, technical support and inclusive value chains.
Participants later split into breakout groups to explore two pressing themes: innovative finance and nature-based value chains and aligning domestic interests with international private-sector partnerships. Conversations highlighted opportunities to strengthen agroecological markets, build inclusive community finance mechanisms and replicate successful models across regions.
Closing the morning session, the Honourable Randeep Sarai, Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development, reflected on his visits to adaptation projects around the world. He emphasized the importance of communicating tangible impacts to Canadians — connecting global resilience efforts with everyday economic realities at home.
Indigenous Leadership at the Centre
The afternoon shifted focus from markets to knowledge systems.
Moderated by Indigenous advisor Peigi Wilson, a panel featuring leaders from the Assembly of First Nations, the BC Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council, IUCN and GAC explored how Indigenous Peoples are co-designing climate adaptation initiatives — led by Indigenous communities, for Indigenous communities.
A central highlight was the presentation of the PODONG Indigenous Peoples Initiative, introduced as a global mechanism that places Indigenous leadership at the heart of biodiversity conservation and climate action. During its first phase (2025–2026), PODONG is demonstrating how co-design and co-development can translate into investments that respond directly to territorial priorities while advancing implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Developed in equal partnership with the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity and IUCN Indigenous Peoples’ Organization Members, PODONG is Indigenous-governed and Indigenous-led. It is grounded in the recognition that capacity building is a two-way learning process — strengthening both Indigenous institutions and the wider conservation community.
The initiative and its early results were presented by Anita Tzec, Maya Yucatec leader and IUCN Senior Programme Manager for Indigenous Peoples and Conservation, who emphasized the urgency of ensuring that global funding reaches Indigenous organizations directly, and that Indigenous knowledge systems are recognized as essential to delivering equitable and durable biodiversity and climate solutions.
Rather than being consulted at the margins, Indigenous partners described governance models that place traditional knowledge and self-determination at the centre of project design. Through the Indigenous Peoples Partnership for Climate (IPP4C) and related initiatives, programming is being shaped around community priorities, cultural values and long-term resilience.
The discussion underscored that inclusive governance is not simply a safeguard — it is a driver of effectiveness. Projects rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems often deliver stronger biodiversity outcomes and more durable adaptation benefits.
Designing the Path Forward
The day concluded with “Integration Labs,” interactive sessions where participants co-designed practical pathways to scale nature-positive solutions. Three working groups tackled:
- Blended finance models to structure partnerships for scalability
- Community finance and payments for ecosystem services to ensure local benefit
- Private sector engagement strategies to identify clear incentives for investment
Each group produced priority actions, collaboration opportunities and tracking indicators — transforming dialogue into a roadmap for 2026 and beyond.
As partners exchanged tools, case studies and contacts, a common understanding took root: climate resilience depends on ecosystems, but ecosystems depend on coherent finance, inclusive governance and cross-sector collaboration.
From seaweed farms to forest carbon markets, from shrimp value chains to Indigenous-led adaptation, the stories shared at International Development Week revealed a future where nature is not an afterthought — but a cornerstone of economic stability and global resilience.
And in Ottawa, that future felt one step closer.