Elderson urges nature investment to strengthen economic resilience
Frank Elderson called for investment in nature at COP17 Finance and Biodiversity Day in Yerevan on October 26, 2026. He said protecting and restoring nature supports economic resilience and future prosperity.
From targets to implementation
Frank Elderson urged governments and finance to accelerate action as nature continues to deteriorate and progress remains limited.
The European Central Bank (ECB) Executive Board member and Supervisory Board Vice-Chair spoke at COP17 Finance and Biodiversity Day.
He recalled that the international community adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework four years earlier, establishing a pathway to living in harmony with nature by 2050.
Elderson called for moving from targets to implementation, awareness to engagement and ambition to investment.
The event description dates the keynote to October 26, 2026; the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) page lists delivery and publication on October 27, 2026.
Natural capital underpins prosperity
Elderson framed protecting and restoring nature as investment rather than simply spending.
He linked that investment to the natural capital on which economies depend, their resilience and future prosperity.
Finance has a central role because a transition requires investment, he said.
He called on COP17 to accelerate implementation of the biodiversity framework.
The BIS states that the views expressed belong to the speaker and do not necessarily reflect its own.
Investment over ambition alone
Elderson's central distinction is between setting biodiversity targets and financing their implementation.
He presents nature protection as an economic investment, not merely a spending commitment.
The speech does not specify funding amounts, instruments or new supervisory measures.