Environmental finance is all about making sure that we protect our environment by finding ways to balance the economic costs and benefits of human activities on our planet. It's like when you have some money and you want to spend it on something, but you also want to make sure you have enough money left over for other things you need.
For example, imagine that a factory wants to build a big machine to make things. The machine might be good for making lots of products, but it could also be bad for the environment because it creates pollution. Environmental finance helps us figure out how to make sure that the factory can make its products without hurting the environment too much.
One way to do this is by charging taxes or fees to the factory for the pollution it creates. If the factory has to pay more money for causing pollution, it might decide to find ways to reduce the amount of pollution it creates. This can help protect the environment and also make the factory more efficient, which can be good for the economy.
Another way to use environmental finance is by investing in things like renewable energy. Renewable energy is energy that comes from sources that won't run out, like the sun or wind. Investing in renewable energy can help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, which can be bad for the environment.
Overall, environmental finance is about finding ways to make sure that we can still have a healthy environment while making sure that our economy stays strong. It's like trying to balance a see-saw so that both sides are even!