The EU and its Member States together constitute the top donor of international aid for biodiversity. In the last decade they collectively upheld their commitment to double financial flows to developing countries for biodiversity. The new post-2020 global biodiversity framework calls for a $ 200 billion increase in international financial flows from all sources to developing countries. In September 2021 President von der Leyen announced a further doubling of EU external support for biodiversity, prioritising the most vulnerable countries.

Via Research & Innovation (RTD) 

A variety of RTD programmes under the FP7 (2007-13) and Horizon 2020 (2014-20) initiatives have supported global biodiversity-related projects. The 2019-2020 work programme of Horizon 2020 spent about € 83 million on projects directed at ensuring EU influence on global biodiversity research. This includes funding IPBES through three channels: (i) direct financing to strengthen IPBES work (ii) targeted support to the EC for IPBES negotiations and uptake of IPBES products by policymakers, and (iii) funding research projects that provide relevant content to IPBES. The next batch will be supported by Horizon Europe (2021-27), the EU's most ambitious RTD programme ever.

FP7 (2007-2013) programmes that covered global biodiversity:
Specific Programme "Cooperation": Environment (including Climate Change) (FP7-Environment; funding € 1.9 billion) aimed at improving the sustainable management of environmental resources by advancing knowledge on interactions between the climate, biosphere, ecosystems and human activities via multidisciplinary research. Among the areas addressed were biodiversity conservation and sustainable management, environmental pressures, marine environment management, earth and ocean observation and monitoring, and nature restoration.
Specific Programme "Capacities": International Cooperation (FP7-INCO; funding € 180 million) aimed at contributing to producing global public goods and helping close the gaps between countries via international research and development. Its specific actions included reinforcing research capacities of candidate countries, and cooperation with developing and emerging countries on environmental themes.
Specific programme "People" for research, technological development and demonstration activities (FP7-People; funding € 4.75 billion) aimed at encouraging researcher careers and mobility, and improving knowledge sharing and transfer between countries and sectors.

Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) programmes that covered global biodiversity:
Pillar III (SOCIETAL CHALLENGES) : Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials (H2020-EU.3.5; funding € 3.1 billion) aimed to achieve a resource- and water-efficient and climate change-resilient economy and society, protect and sustainably manage natural resources and ecosystems, and ensure a sustainable supply and use of raw materials. Among its actions most relevant for global biodiversity are Protecting the environment, sustainably managing natural resources, water, biodiversity and ecosystems (H2020-EU.3.5.2) and Developing comprehensive and sustained global environmental observation and information systems (H2020-EU.3.5.5). The former includes, among many other projects, EU4IPBES (2019-2023), a EU coordination and support action for the implementation of the IPBES work programme.
Pillar III (SOCIETAL CHALLENGES): Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy (H2020-EU.3.2; funding € 3.9 billion) aimed to secure sufficient supplies of safe, healthy and high-quality food and other bio-based products by developing productive, sustainable and resource-efficient primary production systems, fostering related ecosystem services and the recovery of biological diversity. Among its actions most relevant for global biodiversity are Sustainable agriculture and forestry (H2020-EU.3.2.1) and Unlocking the potential of aquatic living resources (H2020-EU.3.2.3).
Pillar I (EXCELLENT SCIENCE): Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (H2020-EU.1.3; funding € 6.2 billion) aimed to ensure optimal development and dynamic use of Europe's intellectual capital to generate, develop and transfer new skills, knowledge and innovation and thus to realise its full potential across sectors and regions. It includes the global action Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility.
Pillar I (EXCELLENT SCIENCE): Research Infrastructures (H2020-EU.1.4; funding € 2.5 billion) aimed to endow Europe with world-class research infrastructures accessible to all researchers in Europe and beyond, which fully exploit their potential for scientific advance and innovation. It includes the global action Facilitate strategic international cooperation (H2020-EU.1.4.3.2).

Horizon Europe (2021-2027) ongoing calls/programmes covering global biodiversity:
Horizon Europe (HE) emphasises a global approach. The HE Work programme for 2021-22 and the HE Work programme for 2023-24 target "Biodiversity and ecosystem services" as one of the main destinations of Cluster 6 on "Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment" in Pillar II (Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness). Calls listed under the Cluster 6 Work programme (2021-22) and the Cluster 6 Work Programme (2023-24) include several topics that are global in scope. In particular projects under the theme "Enabling transformative change in biodiversity" specifically call for participation from African Union member countries and those under "Interconnecting biodiversity research and supporting policies" cover support for IPBES and cooperation with the CBD. HE is also co-funding (with € 40 million) the European Biodiversity Partnership Biodiversa+ "Rescuing biodiversity to safeguard life on Earth," (HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-02-01), which targets SDGs 13, 14, 15 and 17 and includes transnational projects such as Supporting the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems across land and sea, which involves 46 funding organisations from 34 countries. In addition, themes relating to global biodiversity are indirectly tackled under other destinations of Cluster 6 such as sustainable food systems, bio-economy, zero pollution and innovative governance.

Pillar I (Excellent Science) also continues under HE, and includes several calls relating to global biodiversity. These include calls under the "Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions" (MSCA), listed in the MSCA Work programme (2021-22) and the MSCA Work programme (2023-24). Those under "Research Infrastructures" (RI) are listed in the RI Work programme (2021-22) and the RI Work programme (2023-24). RI includes calls (HORIZON-INFRA-2021-SERV-01) on themes pertinent to global biodiversity such as sustainable and resilient agriculture and agro-ecological transitions, climate-related risks to the environment, developing materials for a circular economy, and sustainable and inclusive global value chains.

Via Development Cooperation (INTPA)

Developing countries contain a large share of the world's biodiversity, and are adversely affected by its loss. They are also more likely to house low-income and indigenous communities who are most dependent on natural capital for their daily needs, based in high biodiversity areas, and lacking the capacity to sufficiently abate impacts or address underlying global consumption patterns. A large part of EU support for global biodiversity therefore occurs via development cooperation.

EU total funding for biodiversity through international development cooperation reached €1.67 billion in the decade up to 2016, including a boost in 2012 with the Hyderabad commitment. For the funding period 2014-2020, up to €1 billion was earmarked for biodiversity and ecosystems, including wildlife conservation. These figures don't include the biodiversity component of development projects in other sectors like agriculture and food, security, energy, and climate.

The EU funds biodiversity-related development cooperation activities mainly via 2 types of financial instruments:

• Geographical instruments, such as the European Development Fund (EDF), the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) or the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) help implement EU biodiversity strategy at national and regional level
• The thematic programme ‘Global Public Goods and Challenges’ (GPGC) addresses biodiversity and ecosystems issues that are not prioritised by geographical instruments, or that are common to groups of countries not belonging to a single region

The largest share of EU investments in biodiversity is used to support protected areas. These funds are provided through bilateral cooperation with partner countries or through grants to international and local NGOs managing protected areas. The EC also funds a large number of projects directly and indirectly targeting the issue of desertification, land degradation and sustainable land management, often with the joint aim of addressing biodiversity loss and climate adaptation, as well as funding research projects on monitoring and assessing soil quality and drought. Among the main recipients of EU development cooperation support for global biodiversity are:
 

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF): The EU is one of the CEPF's seven major donors. The CEPF provides grants to NGOs, civil society organisations and the private sector for the conservation and management of globally significant biodiversity hotspots. The 36 hotspots are home to around 2 billion people, including some of the world’s poorest, who rely directly on healthy ecosystems for their livelihood and well-being. A 2009 study found that more than 80% of armed conflicts in 1950-2000 had occurred in these hotspots. Many were caused or exacerbated by natural resource scarcity.

Minimising the Illegal Killing of Elephants and other Endangered Species (MIKES): This project aimed at generating reliable and impartial data on the status and threats to elephants and other key endangered species (great apes and rhinos in Africa; marine turtles in the Caribbean and Pacific), help improve law enforcement to combat wildlife poaching and trafficking, and establish an emergency response system for sudden increases in illegal killing and trade. The programme was implemented by the CITES secretariat, and funded by the European Union's 10th European Development Fund through EuropeAid and with the support of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP).

Partners against Wildlife Crime: This EU-funded Action, implemented through a consortium of 12 partner organizations, aims to disrupt illicit supply chains from source to market for tiger, Asian elephant, Siamese rosewood and freshwater turtles. 

Other projects supported by EU international development cooperation:
Virunga National Park, DR Congo
Preserving the Paramos, Northern Andes
Leuser ecosystem, Indonesia
The Best Initiative in ORs and OCTs
Combating alien invasive species in the Pacific
Getting tough on wildlife traffickers in Asia
PROMISE  - Prevention Of Marine Litter In The Lakshadweep Sea
Regreening Africa: Restoring land and livelihoods in the Sahel
STREAM - Sustainable Resilient Ecosystem and Agriculture Management in Mongolia