From Harm Reduction to Regeneration: An Introductory Note on Finance for Climate

Name: From Harm Reduction to Regeneration: An Introductory Note on Finance for Climate
SKU: W48262_P

Diane-Laure Arjalies, Melanie Issett, Maya Ghandi

Product #:W48262_P

Supplier:Ivey

Discipline:Finance, Sustainability

Setting:Canada, 2025

Details:Note (PDF) • 14 pages • 2026-06-22

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This technical note investigates the strategies that financiers have adopted to address the crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Also known as “finance for climate,” financial approaches targeting climate change and biodiversity loss fall into two main categories. The first category comprises financial instruments that aim to reduce the harm humans have caused to the climate and biodiversity. The second category of financial instruments aims to support the regeneration of the land, primarily by funding nature-based solutions. Only the financing of regeneration can help replenish planetary boundaries and thus provide a sustainable solution to the crises of climate and biodiversity loss.

Learning Objectives

This note gives students the opportunity to do the following:

Distinguish between harm-reduction and regenerative approaches in climate and biodiversity finance, and explain the limitations of mitigation-focused instruments.
Understand why regenerating ecosystems is essential for operating within planetary boundaries, beyond simply reducing emissions or environmental impacts.
Identify key financial instruments used to address climate change and biodiversity loss, including those that fund nature-based solutions and Indigenous-led stewardship.
Assess how regenerative finance can be implemented in practice, using examples like the Deshkan Ziibi Conservation Impact Bond to illustrate pathways for systemic transformation.