Climate change and biodiversity are both recognized as crucial priorities for global action. There is a strong political effort to enhance synergies and minimize trade-offs between these two agendas. This policy brief provides recommendations for state and non-state actors engaged in implementation of climate and biodiversity action, primarily in biodiversity-rich developing countries. It offers advice on bridging the science–policy gap by leveraging existing institutional infrastructure and governance mechanism, and overcoming significant trade-offs and enhancing synergies at the global, national and local levels: • Foster evidence and science-based policymaking at the national level. • Promote integrative and adaptive approaches that can reduce trade-offs. • Generate synergy indicators and integrate them into governance and financing mechanisms. • Create a safe-for-biodiversity carbon marketplace that goes beyond the safeguard approach.