May 2026 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain). Gabinete Literario (Hybrid event).
On May 27 2026, Canaragua, partner of the NATALIE project in Spain, participated in the VII Canary Islands Conference on Circular Economy. The event gathered key regional actors to discuss environmental taxation and economic tools for the ecological transition.
The aim of the intervention was to explore innovative financing mechanisms to accelerate the implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate change adaptation. Participants included regional decision-makers, tax advisors, university experts, and private sector representatives.
During the expert panel focused on the regional Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF), Canaragua presented the main barriers to private investment in green infrastructures. These barriers, alongside concrete proposals and a comprehensive analysis of the financial framework and its opportunities, were identified through local stakeholder engagement coordinated by NATALIE partners iCatalist, IISD, and GIB, as part of the project's efforts to develop innovative financing and business models. The core proposal focused on the potential of modifying the regional tax incentive known as the Reserve for Investments in the Canary Islands (RIC) to include NbS as eligible investments.
The event was a key opportunity to showcase how the NATALIE project is actively working to overcome financial barriers. The proposal to combine the RIC's tax benefits with other innovative mechanisms—such as water credits, biodiversity credits, and Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES)—received public validation from leading regional tax experts during the debate.
This milestone directly contributes to NATALIE's broader objectives by setting the groundwork for future policy advocacy, aiming to amend the regional tax framework and unlock private capital to fund climate adaptation projects (e.g., aquifer recharge, flood risk reduction) in the Canary Islands.
Watch the full video recording of the event here: https://www.youtube.com/live/u9EazBCtfK4?si=nPJEHCYkkDBYVsqx
Read more about the Canary Islands case study: https://www.natalieproject.eu/case-studies/cs4-alternative-water-management-solutions-in-spanish-archipelagos
Learn about the working package “Investing in Ecosystem based adaptation for Climate Resilient Development” here: https://youtu.be/YHeBi5SiGX0?si=UQzjiqJLIh2aL_fJ