EIB Global pledges €50 million to reforestation fund run by private investment firm Ardian

• EIB Global commits €50 million to nature-restoration fund managed by Ardian.
• Pledge by EIB’s development arm to advance worldwide reforestation and afforestation, particularly in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
• Move aligned with EU’s Global Gateway strategy and reinforces Europe’s commitment to global partnerships.

The European Investment Bank Group’s development arm, EIB Global, is committing €50 million to a reforestation fund run by Ardian, a world-leading private investment firm. The EIB Global pledge takes the form of an equity investment in Ardian’s Nature-Based Solutions fund, which supports reforestation, afforestation and the restoration of wetlands and mangroves worldwide.

EIB Global is a cornerstone investor in the fund, which aims to restore extensive areas of degraded forests and natural ecosystems around the globe. Most of the fund’s capital will be directed towards projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, generating carbon credits that advance global climate goals and sustainable development in emerging markets.

The commitment by EIB Global reinforces European Union leadership in climate action while promoting biodiversity and delivering tangible local benefits including new income opportunities and infrastructure such as roads and electricity.

“This fund represents an important step forward in scaling nature-based solutions across emerging markets,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “We are helping to address climate change, protect biodiversity and improve the livelihoods of local communities. This investment reflects our commitment to mobilising public and private capital for environmental protection and sustainable development.”

“This first €100 million round of commitments marks a milestone in Ardian’s journey to becoming a leading player in nature restoration projects,” said Laurent Fayollas Ardian Comex member and Deputy Head of Infrastructure. “On top of targeting the sequestration of 85 million tons of carbon, the fund aims to play a significant role in restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, while benefiting local communities. We are very grateful to our anchor investors for their confidence in Ardian’s world-class Infrastructure and NBS investment expertise.”       

Part of the fund’s private-investor capital will be allocated to green projects in countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, particularly in Europe.

A distinctive feature of the fund is its focus on high-integrity “carbon removal credits”, which stem from projects that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and are sold in markets to companies seeking to compensate for their emissions of greenhouse gases.

Such credits are sold primarily to companies with a solid track record in the field through “Voluntary Emission Reduction Purchase Agreements”. The system supports Europe’s decarbonisation efforts while helping meet growing demand for nature-based carbon offsets.

The operation supports the EU’s Global Gateway priorities by focusing on ecosystem and biodiversity restoration. It is aligned with key European policies including the EU’s forest and biodiversity strategies as well as European law on deforestation-free products.

Global Gateway 

Global Gateway is the EU's positive offer to reduce the worldwide investment disparity and boost smart, clean and secure connections in digital, energy and transport sectors, and to strengthen health, education and research systems. 

The Global Gateway strategy embodies a Team Europe approach that brings together the European Union, EU Member States, and European development finance institutions. Together, we aim to mobilise up to €300 billion in public and private investments from 2021 to 2027, creating essential links rather than dependencies, and closing the global investment gap. 

EIB Group at COP30

An overview of EIB Group activities at the United Nations climate conference, known as COP30, is available on the organisation’s website. The EIB Group shares a pavilion with the group of multilateral development banks. The full agenda is available here.

EIB Group Climate Bank Roadmap Phase Two

The EIB Group is pressing ahead with phase two of its pioneering Climate Bank Roadmap, staying the course as anchor financier of the green industrial revolution, energy security and shared prosperity. Building on the great success of our Climate Bank Roadmap since its launch in 2020, the second phase of the roadmap sets out the EIB Group’s priorities through to the end of this decade, supporting Europe’s competitiveness, security, technological leadership, doubling adaptation finance while simplifying its procedures to accelerate green investment.

Background information

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. The EIB finances investments in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world and Europe’s capital markets union.   

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.    

Approximately half of the EIB's financing within the EU targets cohesion regions, where per-capita income is below the EU average, while almost 60% of annual EIB Group investments support climate action and environmental sustainability. 

High-quality, up-to-date photos of the organisation’s headquarters for media use are available here.  

About EIB Global

EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm dedicated to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance.  EIB Global is designed to foster strong, focused partnership within Team Europe, alongside fellow development finance institutions, and civil society. EIB Global brings the Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through our offices across the world.

About Ardian

Ardian is a world-leading private investment firm, managing or advising $192bn of assets on behalf of more than 1,860 clients globally. Our broad expertise, spanning Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit, enables us to offer a wide range of investment opportunities and respond flexibly to our clients’ differing needs. Through Ardian Customized Solutions we create bespoke portfolios that allow institutional clients to specify the precise mix of assets they require and to gain access to funds managed by leading third-party sponsors. Private Wealth Solutions offers dedicated services and access solutions for private banks, family offices and private institutional investors worldwide. Ardian’s main shareholding group is its employees and we place great emphasis on developing its people and fostering a collaborative culture based on collective intelligence. Our 1,050+ employees, spread across 20 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Middle East are strongly committed to the principles of Responsible Investment and are determined to make finance a force for good in society. Our goal is to deliver excellent investment performance combined with high ethical standards and social responsibility.  

At Ardian we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last.