Climate math: Protecting nature gets one dollar, destroying it gets thirty-three
India Today
The picture becomes clear when the money is traced by sector.
Climate change is no longer just about rising temperatures or extreme weather. It is also about where the world’s money is going. According to a recent report by the United Nations Environment Programme, titled State of Finance for Nature 2026, in 2023, global finance that damages and has an extreme effect on nature touched USD 7.3 trillion. Of this, USD 4.9 trillion came from private investments such as loans, bonds, and equity, while USD 2.4 trillion came from public money in the form of environmentally harmful subsidies.
In contrast, global spending on nature-based solutions or finances for protecting forests, restoring ecosystems, and improving soil and water resilience stood at just USD 220 billion. That means for every one dollar invested in protecting nature and strengthening climate resilience, thirty-three dollars were spent to undo the effect.
The picture becomes clear when the money is traced by sector. Industries including healthcare and technology sit at the top of the problem with USD 1.38 trillion, followed by fossil fuels with USD 1.13 trillion, the energy sector (USD 0.79 trillion), and basic materials such as chemicals, metals and construction (USD 0.74 trillion). Even everyday consumer goods and agriculture together accounted for over USD 0.8 trillion in climate-damaging finance.
The way global money is flowing today is worsening climate change, and India is already paying the price. India experienced extreme weather for nearly 99 per cent of the year in just nine months. These affected every part of India from the Himalayas to Jammu & Kashmir to the southern coast of Tamil Nadu.
According to the Climate India Report 2025, Himachal Pradesh was the most affected state, recording 217 days of extreme weather. The state faced a range of events, from winter floods and pre-monsoon landslides to intense monsoon cloudbursts, leading to 380 deaths and large-scale damage. Overall, extreme weather caused 4,064 human deaths, nearly 59,000 animal deaths, damage to over 99,000 houses, and widespread crop losses across the country.
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