The public finance systems of Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia and Nigeria have not focused to any great extent so far on protecting the environment and biodiversity. Financial budgets and fiscal policy tend to be conducive to an economy that produces high levels of greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants and does little to protect the environment.
The project supports the four countries in gearing their public finances to a greater extent to protecting biodiversity. It focuses on cooperation with the finance ministries and broad participation by interest groups:
1. The project analyses existing structures, such as taxes, framework conditions for financing arrangements, debt swap and environmental duties and advises the relevant staff in finance ministries, universities and competence centres on new strategies.
2. The project supports communication by key actors, for example ministries, authorities and interest groups, in order to improve cooperation and coordinate reforms more effectively to preserve biodiversity.
3. The project improves administrative structures and builds on them in order to assess political measures and design the details of public finances to greater effect.
4. The project promotes exchange between the four partner countries in the context of global initiatives and agreements such as the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement.