Toward Systemic Change in Landscape Finance: 11 Areas for Collaborative Action

This report aims to address current barriers to the effective implementation and scaled-up use of integrated landscape finance (ILF) by offering collaborative paths forward. It is based on 1000 Landscapes for 1 Billion People initiative (1000L) Finance Solutions Team’s framework for mobilizing key actors to transform the finance system to support integrated landscape investments. Building upon the research conducted by the 1000L team, the report highlights three dimensions of cross sector collaboration to transform the finance system and generate more funding for ILF: 1) align and mobilize key financial actors 2) deepen, synthesize and share knowledge about landscape finance 3) develop the infrastructure for landscape finance. Within these three dimensions, 11 specific areas for collaborative action are then outlined.

From 2020 to 2021, 1000L’s Finance Solutions Team interviewed more than 80 financial leaders from across the finance continuum with experience in landscape finance that included the private sector. The team engaged finance leaders in an online workshop to analyze the interviews and define strategic actions to scale landscape finance. The refined analysis demonstrated the different ways landscape finance has been deployed, opportunities for expansion, and key challenges. The dialogue results were supplemented by insights from other 1000L consultations with philanthropists and governments active in landscape development, and from the experiences reported by landscape partnerships in mobilizing finance for their priority projects and businesses.