Our planet’s forests, soils, and wetlands sustain life on Earth - yet their value remains largely unseen. The UBS Optimus Foundation is helping clients and partners mobilize philanthropic capital, knowledge, and innovation to protect and restore nature.
Why does natural capital matter?
Nature underpins our economies, our health, and our climate. Forests regulate temperatures and rainfall, wetlands store carbon and filter water, and soil supports food security. Yet these ecosystems are being degraded faster than they can recover.
Through UBS Optimus Foundation, we help clients and partners scale investment in nature-based solutions that safeguard biodiversity, regenerate land, and strengthen community resilience.
Nature and climate are inseparable
Nature and climate are deeply connected. Forests, wetlands, and grasslands regulate rainfall, store carbon, and support livelihoods. Their combined economic value is estimated at over USD 125 trillion a year, yet much of this “natural capital” remains undervalued and underfunded.
As ecosystems degrade, the risks to communities and economies rise. Philanthropy can play a catalytic role — helping to unlock innovation, attract investment, and scale nature-based solutions that protect and restore essential ecosystems.
Through UBS Optimus Foundation, we support partners developing evidence-based, locally led approaches that conserve biodiversity and strengthen climate resilience in regions such as Latin America and Africa.
How your philanthropy can help protect our natural world
Through UBS Optimus Foundation and in partnership with our clients, UBS support innovative, science-based solutions that strengthen Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land).
We focus on:
- Collaborating with partners to protect vital ecosystems
- Developing blended-finance approaches, such as the SDG Outcomes Fund, to channel new funding
- Supporting community-led projects that strengthen resilience
- Raising awareness through storytelling and global engagement
Insights and resources
Guide – Seeds of Change: Saving life on land
With this guide, we are bringing you over 20 years of experience in advising our clients on strategic philanthropy and the expertise of over 60 ocean experts, philanthropists, and changemakers who shared with us – and now with you – what they feel the priorities for ocean conservation are, what they have learned over the years, and their best tips to help you take impactful actions.
Report – Bloom or Bust
How can technology and finance help address biodiversity loss?
This report explores innovative funding and data solutions to protect ecosystems at scale.
Article – Biodiversity loss entails business risk
Economist Partha Dasgupta highlights how our economy undervalues natural capital — and how corporate disclosure and policy reform can reverse the trend.
Article – An introduction to nature investing
Learn how UBS Global Wealth Management is helping clients integrate nature-based investing into portfolios as biodiversity loss accelerates.
Report – Climate meets nature
UBS Asset Management explores how investors can integrate natural capital and biodiversity into sustainable investment decisions and engagement efforts.
Interview - with Prof. Sir Partha Dasgupta
Profit per se is not a bad thing says Prof. Sir Partha Dasgupta, but the economist also explains that we need to be able to measure a more comprehensive set of factors to assess who benefits from the acquired profit and who pays for it, whether it is the planet or its people.
Let’s protect land-based ecosystems, together
Contact us to explore how your philanthropy can help restore nature and protect ecosystems for generations to come.
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