An innovative new financing mechanism for tiger landscape conservation was launched today during the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain. Led by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and Tiger Conservation Coalition, the Tiger Landscapes Investment Fund (TLIF), is an innovative facility to incubate and finance businesses and initiatives that will benefit nature and people in tiger-range countries.

TLIF seeks to catalyse up to US$200 million in public and private capital to support the protection and sustainable management of vital tiger landscapes, securing a future for both tigers and the ecosystems we all depend on.

TLIF is implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), with a contribution of EUR 13 million, and with support from Cartier for Nature. TLIF is operationalized first in Thailand and Malaysia and is seeking additional resources to expand to several other tiger-range countries.

Tigers have long captured our collective imagination, transcending regional boundaries, cultures and languages. While they flourish in stories and as symbols of strength, power and courage, their existence in the wild remains under constant threat. Collaborative action and the unlocking of much-needed finance for conservation are required to ensure tigers continue to exist, not just symbolically, but more importantly as a keystone species in thriving landscapes.

“The urgency of protecting tiger landscapes cannot be overstated. These ecosystems are vital not just for wildlife, but go beyond protected areas helping restore biodiversity and connectivity, benefitting both nature and people. Through our support to the Tiger Landscapes Investment Fund, Germany is proud to help drive ambitious, scalable finance solutions that bring nature, climate, and development goals together. We believe this Fund can be a game-changer for tiger conservation and community resilience across Asia. We call on other donors and partners to join us on this journey,” said Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), Federal Republic of Germany.

An apex predator and the world’s largest cat, tigers play a significant role in the structure and health of ecosystems that provide essential services for people. As a ‘landscape’ species, they require vast, ecologically connected habitats with an abundance of prey and minimum interference.

The TLIF was established in response to an urgent call made in the 2024 conference on Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes held under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty The Queen of Bhutan, Jetsun Pema Wangchuk, and the subsequent ‘Paro Statement’ which called for an additional US$1 billion in financing for tiger landscapes over the next 10 years.

There are several key features that make TLIF uniquely fit for this purpose.

First, it includes provisions for strong technical assistance to facilitate pipeline development and post-investment support. Second, TLIF partners with local financial institutions and provides them with credit guarantees, enabling them to unlock private capital from their own balance sheets. Last, many local financial institutions have outreach in target tiger landscapes and are able to serve the micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises that have a positive impact on nature.

“The Global Biodiversity Framework, a global agreement to safeguard the world’s biodiversity, cannot be achieved through public financing alone. We know that a nature-based economy has the potential to unlock over US$10 trillion annually. The Tiger Landscapes Investment Fund is designed to tap into that potential to mobilize private finance at scale by addressing the real barriers investors face in frontier landscapes. By combining technical assistance, de-risking instruments, and deep partnerships with stakeholders, this Fund offers a model that is truly fit-for-purpose to bridge the nature finance gap," said Haoliang Xu, Acting Administrator, UNDP.

“As the administrator of this guarantee, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is proud to leverage its blended finance instruments to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises that contribute to the protection, restoration, and sustainable management of tiger landscapes. The Tiger Landscapes Investment Fund plays a critical role in de-risking investment at the last mile and is expected to positively impact at least 10,000 biodiversity-linked livelihoods," said Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, Executive Secretary, UNCDF.

The technical assistance and de-risking facilities under the new Fund will support enterprise incubation and financing from early 2026. In addition, TLIF has begun engaging with several other tiger-range countries to explore how these facilities can be structured to align with their specific national contexts.

“The launch of TLIF represents a significant step forward in delivering on the ambition to raise US$1 billion for tiger landscapes. It provides the tools, partnerships, and capital we urgently need to support those living in and around tiger habitats. By protecting tigers we conserve some of the world’s most critical landscapes for generations to come," said Stuart Chapman, Chair, Tiger Conservation Coalition.