The Department of Finance (DOF) of the Philippines, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and backed by the Government of Canada, has launched a new initiative aimed at accelerating nature-based and climate finance solutions across the country.
Titled Accelerating Green and Climate Finance in the Philippines: Nature-based Solutions (AGCF-NbS), the programme seeks to support enterprises that promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth while delivering measurable environmental outcomes.
A key component of the initiative is NatureNest, a six-month accelerator programme co-implemented by Villgro Philippines and co-chaired by the DOF. The accelerator will support 10 high-potential nature-based enterprises with tailored capacity building, targeted coaching, and technical assistance to scale their operations. The programme also aims to connect participating enterprises with impact investors and unlock private sector capital to amplify their reach and effectiveness.
“NatureNest is a vehicle of transformation, enabling enterprises to turn innovative ideas into scalable projects that will generate employment, protect ecosystems, and enhance community resilience to climate change,” the DOF’s Climate Finance Policy Group said at the programme’s launch on 5 May 2025.
Backed by USD 4.5 million in approved funding, the AGCF initiative will also establish a climate finance lab and develop climate data platforms to support research in nature-based finance. Additional objectives include integrating gender-responsive and green policies into lending programmes and developing systems to track the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) impacts of climate investments from the private sector.
According to the DOF, the NatureNest programme represents a major step forward in mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as viable tools for building climate-resilient communities and encouraging private sector investment in green projects.
The programme is one of the pioneering efforts under the Interagency Task Force on Sustainable Finance’s (ITSF) newly established Center of Excellence, which serves as a dedicated facility for policy support, capacity building, and sustainable market development. The launch event featured insights from government officials, impact investors, and civil society leaders on the role of nature-based enterprises in tackling climate change. Key attendees included UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Edwine Carrie, Canada’s Head of Cooperation in the Philippines John Lok, DENR Undersecretary Analiza Teh, DENR Biodiversity Bureau Assistant Director Mariglo Rosaida Laririt, and Villgro Philippines Co-founder and CEO Priya Thachadi, alongside representatives from across the public and private sectors.
