BNP Paribas Foundation Commits €7 Million to Climate & Biodiversity Initiative

Eleven international research projects aimed at protecting ocean and coastal ecosystems selected.

From project proposals submitted by more than 160 scientific teams across 21 countries, the BNP Paribas Foundation has selected eleven projects that contribute to climate protection and marine biodiversity conservation. The Foundation will commit €7 million to support these initiatives between 2026 and 2028, an increase of €1 million compared to the previous funding cycle.

The BNP Paribas Foundation has long been engaged in scientific research and ocean protection. Since 2010, the Foundation has supported more than 46 international research teams and invested a total of €31 million in climate and biodiversity research. As a result, the Climate & Biodiversity Initiative has become one of France’s largest philanthropic programmes dedicated to the environment.

The sixth edition of the Climate & Biodiversity Initiative focuses on the ocean and coastal ecosystems. UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission has awarded the programme the Ocean Decade label; an initiative aimed at advancing scientific knowledge and international collaboration to accelerate progress in ocean science.

Selected projects

An international scientific committee comprising nine leading experts made the final selection. The experts are affiliated with institutions including the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the Research Institute for Development (IRD) and the University of Würzburg. Scientific excellence, impact and innovation were the key criteria in the evaluation process.

The selected projects cover a wide range of geographies, among which Senegal, Gulf of Guinea, Mediterranean, Arctic, Northeast Pacific, Coral Triangle, and Réunion Island. The topics also vary: from marine megafauna, oyster farming, abyssal biodiversity, Arctic microbiome, corals, phytoplankton, benthic organisms and global fisheries.

This diversity illustrates both the scale of the challenges and the important role scientific research can play in developing solutions for threatened ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

Isabelle Giordano, Executive Director of the BNP Paribas Foundation, Head of Philanthropy for BNP Paribas Group: “Through this BNP Paribas Foundation programme, we have chosen to respond to the climate emergency with action by supporting scientific research on the ocean and coastal ecosystems, because preserving these essential environments also means protecting the resources and balances on which our collective future depends.”

Partnership with Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands

In addition to the work of the BNP Paribas Foundation, BNP Paribas in the Netherlands has been working closely with Naturalis Biodiversity Center since the end of 2023 to protect and restore biodiversity. BNP Paribas supports scientific research, environmental education and financial innovation. The bank is also working with Naturalis Biodiversity Center to develop indicators for businesses and the financial sector to help measure progress in promoting biodiversity. In this way, BNP Paribas’ global ambition is being translated into tangible local action.

The partnership supports Dutch businesses and institutions in gaining a better understanding of their impact on nature and ecosystems, while helping them develop strategies for biodiversity restoration. Biodiversity loss is not only a global challenge — it also has direct implications in the Netherlands for food security, water quality and overall quality of life.