Carbon finance is set to help fund ecosystem restoration in the Philippines under a newly adopted national framework for nature-based solutions (NbS), which lists it alongside government appropriations, development partners, and payments for ecosystem services.
DENR Administrative Order No. 2026-30, signed on 29 June 2026, institutionalises NbS within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) current and future policies, plans, and programmes. Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said the order creates a national framework for scaling ecosystem-based interventions.
The framework was launched together with an NbS Catalogue, with backing from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) through the Project Accelerating Green and Climate Finance for NbS and support from the Canadian embassy in Manila. UNDP called the Catalogue a 'playbook of 21 powerful examples of nature-based solutions — from restoring forests to rehabilitating coastlines — making it easier to fund and implement them'.
Quality safeguards are built into the policy, which adopts the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Global Standard for NbS. The standard helps governments, businesses, and NGOs design, verify, and scale high-quality interventions.
The launch coincides with rising investor appetite for nature. Recent data shows nature-based projects drew $2.61 billion in Q2 2026, outpacing the $2.37 billion directed to carbon dioxide removal for a second consecutive quarter. Total carbon market investment hit $5.30 billion in the quarter, up 12.5% from a year earlier, and 2026 is tracking ahead of last year's $16.19 billion.
Restoration priorities span forests, watersheds, mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands, and seagrass beds. Expanding urban green spaces and strengthening flood mitigation in vulnerable provinces, coastal areas, and urban ecosystems are also on the agenda.
A dedicated NbS technical working group will oversee implementation, monitoring, and reporting, supported by capacity-building programmes for DENR personnel and partners. A national NbS registry will track projects and their results as the framework takes effect.