Infrastructure development is a major driver of biodiversity loss globally. With upwardof US$2.5 trillion in annual investments in infrastructure, the financial sector indirectlydrives this biodiversity loss. At the same time, biodiversity safeguards (project-level bio-diversity impact mitigation requirements) of infrastructure financiers can help limit this damage. The coverage and harmonization of biodiversity safeguards are important factorsin their effectiveness and therefore warrant scrutiny. It is equally important to examine theextent to which these safeguards align with best-practice principles for biodiversity impactmitigation outlined in international policies, such as that of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Narain, D., Sonter, L. J., Lechner, A. M., Watson, J. E. M., Simmonds, J. S., & Maron, M. (2023). Global assessment of the biodiversity safeguards of development banks that finance infrastructure. Conservation Biology, 00, e14095. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14095