The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released a new report emphasizing that protecting ecosystems is essential for driving economic growth, job creation, and fiscal stability across the Asia-Pacific region. The report, Asia-Pacific Climate Report 2025: Unlocking Nature for Development, warns that 75% of the region’s output depends on natural systems that are rapidly degrading. It calls for integrating nature protection into national economic strategies and urges governments to upgrade governance, policy, and data systems to attract private investment into conservation, resilience, and green innovation.
ADB Chief Economist Albert Park highlighted that healthy ecosystems are fundamental to the region’s prosperity and competitiveness. The report reveals that nature remains severely underfinanced, with less than 1% of global financial assets supporting nature-positive investments. To close the biodiversity and climate finance gap, the region will need over $1 trillion annually. Sustainable practices such as restoring wetlands, expanding mangroves, and diversifying crops can enhance resilience while generating economic returns.
The report recommends that public finance be directed toward creating enabling environments for private investment through reforms in governance, policy, and data transparency. It outlines a 10-year roadmap for countries to integrate nature into financial and economic systems, with immediate priorities such as subsidy reform, natural capital accounting, and cross-border environmental planning. Long-term measures should align governance structures, financial systems, and data frameworks to secure both environmental and economic gains.
Asia-Pacific economies are already taking significant steps to recognize nature as a form of productive capital and are well-positioned to lead global efforts in sustainable economic transformation. ADB and other development finance institutions will play a critical role in mobilizing investment, providing technical support, and fostering regional cooperation to accelerate nature-based development. Established in 1966, ADB continues to promote inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth across its 69 member countries through innovative financial and policy partnerships.
