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European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Commissioner Roswall's speech at the event, ‘From Principles to International Cooperation: Mobilising Biodiversity Finance through High- Integrity Nature Credits' Yerevan, 27 October 2026 Excellencies, Ministers, Executive Secretary Schomaker, distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to welcome you to today's high-level event, together with our c...
European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Commissioner Roswall's speech at the event, ‘From Principles to International Cooperation: Mobilising Biodiversity Finance through High- Integrity Nature Credits' Yerevan, 27 October 2026 Excellencies, Ministers, Executive Secretary Schomaker, distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to welcome you to today's high-level event, together with our co-hosts, France and Peru. Let me begin by thanking Armenia for gathering us under the banner “Taking Action for Nature” – a theme that speaks to the urgency of the moment. Our natural world is the bedrock of our economic security, food and energy security, health and so much more. It is under massive threat – and we need concrete action to protect and restore it. COP17 is an important step in that journey. For the first time, Parties are reviewing the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We need to turn our commitments into results by 2030. That demands more action on the ground. More supportive policies. And significantly more innovative financial resources. Remember, this is an investment in our future – one that will repay us a thousandfold. Public finance and international biodiversity finance are essential. But we need to mobilise private investment. More and more business and banks are engaging We need to create better incentives for those who protect, restore and manage nature. This is where high-integrity nature credits come in. Too often, those who protect, restore or maintain healthy ecosystems bear the costs of their efforts, while the benefits extend far beyond their land or communities. Nature credits can help to get this right. They recognise and reward measurable contributions to biodiversity, while creating opportunities for farmers, foresters, fishers, land managers, Indigenous Peoples and local communities. They show that protecting our environment can pay – in the short term as well as the longer term. The European Union is determined to maximise this potential. In July 2025, we adopted our Roadmap towards Nature Credits. We have established an Expert Group on Nature Credits. We are examining biodiversity metrics, governance, market demand and financing, and the conditions for credible claims. And we are learning from pilot projects – what works, what doesn't, what and how we can improve. However, biodiversity is complex – and the situation varies from place to place. Countries across the globe are developing different approaches that reflect different ecosystems, institutions and national priorities. And within this diversity, there lies a wealth of knowledge. International collaboration can teach us so much, including on integrity, monitoring, transparency and safeguards – all of which are absolutely vital. And that's why today's event is so exciting. Together with France and Peru, we are delighted to launch the Friends of Credits for Nature and Biodiversity. The Group will provide an inclusive, government-led forum for policy dialogue. And it sends a powerful signal to the world: We are determined to cooperate at international level on nature and biodiversity credits. This cooperation will reflect the full range of global experiences. And it will build on the valuable work already undertaken by the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB), the Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA), and other international partners. The Friends of Credits for Nature and Biodiversity will provide a space for countries to consider the wider policy implications and opportunities for cooperation. Ladies and gentlemen, Our ambition is clear: To ensure that high-integrity nature credits contribute to biodiversity finance. To identify and maximise opportunities for cooperation. And to strengthen the links and learnings between crediting approaches, national biodiversity strategies, biodiversity-finance plans and the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. I am grateful to France and Peru for co-hosting this launch. To Armenia for its support. To the business that are engaging And to all governments and partners contributing to this initiative. Your input and support will be even more important if we are to deliver the results that our biodiversity and nature so desperately need. I look forward to shaping this cooperation together. Thank you. SPEECH/26/2276 <@rel_link@>
Speech Brief