On September 27, 2023, the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), in partnership with the French Agency for Development (AFD) and the Thai Environment Institute (TEI), successfully convened a crucial stakeholders' consultation meeting within the private sector. The event, hosted at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel, brought together prominent business organizations to delve into the critical topic of biodiversity financing for Thailand. The objective of this gathering was to present innovative ideas and foster an exchange of opinions, suggestions, and guidance aimed at advancing biodiversity financing within the country.

Mr. Jean Pierre Marcelli, Regional Director of AFD Southeast Asia, underscored the significance of financing biodiversity, emphasizing its pivotal role in sustainable development. He stressed that addressing this issue requires cooperation from all sectors. Additionally, he outlined the process for the Finance for Biodiversity forum, which will gather input from two additional sectors—policymakers and the financial sector. The forum will then consolidate these inputs to develop Finance for Biodiversity in Thailand.

Furthermore, Ms. Tanirat Tanawat, a senior researcher at TEI, presented a case study exemplifying responsible business practices for biodiversity. She also provided a summary of survey results assessing opportunities for developing biodiversity finance, based on input from the 16 organizations participating in the meeting.

During the meeting, Dr. Wijarn Simachaya, President of the Thai Environment Institute, served as the moderator for a discussion on opportunities to integrate biodiversity into business operations. Various valuable opinions were shared, including the suggestion for the implementation of policies that support consumers to stimulate the market for biodiversity-responsible products. There was also a call for the development of more comprehensive criteria and indicators for sustainability reporting.
Furthermore, participants proposed that both the policy and financial sectors should offer increased support to businesses during their early stages of transitioning towards sustainable practices. This, it was argued, would enhance the country's competitive opportunities.