As of May 2026, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is implementing its Medium-Term Strategy 2026–2029, focusing on accelerating action against the triple planetary crisis—climate change, nature loss, and pollution. Key initiatives include addressing the high cost of nature degradation, navigating plastic treaty negotiations, and enhancing sustainable finance, though funding uncertainty has arisen from major donor.

The State of Finance for Nature 2026 says that for every US$1 the world invests in protecting nature, it spends US$30 on destroying it. The report calls for a major shift in global financing of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and phasing out harmful investments to deliver high returns, reduce risk exposure, and enhance resilience.

"The Nature Transition X-Curve also offers roadmaps to meet the challenge of a ‘trillion-dollar nature transition economy’. The report highlights examples of how this is already being applied by governments and business leaders around the world: Greening urban areas to counter heat-island effects and improving liveability for citizens; embedding nature in road and energy infrastructure; producing emissions-negative building materials using carbon dioxide.

A crucial principle in nature-positive investments is to ground them in local ecological, cultural, and social contexts, while ensuring their inclusivity and equity"