American Forests’ Post

📰 🗣 Earlier in the summer I was lucky enough to sit down with the brilliant Emma Latham-Jones to talk all things #NaturalCapital as part of her latest series for Verdentum. The conversation was hugely stimulating and we covered everything from the macro of compliance vs. voluntary markets to the micro of 'true-cost accounting' and additionality - hopefully clarifying some key points involved in the process of payments for #EcosystemServices in the process. Read the full article below ⬇ #EnvironmentalFinance #BiodiversityCredits #NatureMarkets #PES #LINC #LandscapeRecovery #Sustainability

Peatlands store more carbon than grasslands, forests, and deserts, even though they take up less space.   This image is from the “Investing in Peatlands” publication developed in collaboration between Landscape Finance Lab, ClimateCatalyst Research, and WaterLANDS.   A reminder of why investors can and need to play a crucial role in harnessing the transformative impact of Peatland restoration and protection. Peatlands offer a strategic investment opportunity that benefits both the environment and investors' portfolios, making it a compelling read for those seeking sustainable and impactful investment options. Download the publication. Link in the comments.   #greenfinance #investinginpeatlands #sustainablefinance #blendedfinance

The Key to Success in Conservation Finance How do you truly make an impact in conservation finance? 🌱💼 Charlotte Kaiser emphasizes the importance of understanding the real challenges of execution in impact investing. She advises getting close to the action to see first-hand what it takes to deliver genuine environmental and financial returns. 🎧 Tune in to listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/eU3N55G9 #ImpactInvesting #ESG #SRI360 #SustainableForestry #SustainableTimberland #TimberlandInvestment

I am looking forward to speaking on a panel on investing in timber, agriculture, and carbon credits at the prestigious inaugural Investing in Natural Capital Conference in collaboration with @Cambridge Judge Business School.  #NaturalCapitalConference #SustainableFinance #SustainableInvesting 

🌍 Projects for Nature, the catalyst that unlocks collective action for nature 🌍 In a Defra blog this week, Projects for Nature chairperson, Justin Francis, outlines how we can address an urgent gap in the nature finance landscape. Read his blog to discover how businesses can get involved and help nature thrive. https://lnkd.in/e2iNi7NM

The Key to Success in Conservation Finance How do you truly make an impact in conservation finance? 🌱💼 Charlotte Kaiser emphasizes the importance of understanding the real challenges of execution in impact investing. She advises getting close to the action to see first-hand what it takes to deliver genuine environmental and financial returns. 🎧 Tune in to listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/enrC9mtH #ImpactInvesting #ESG #SRI360 #SustainableForestry #SustainableTimberland #TimberlandInvestment

Nature provides us with a wealth of benefits, from clean air and water to food and recreation. But how do we value this irreplaceable resource? The concept of natural capital offers a way to translate nature’s worth into economic terms. However, there’s concern about whether this approach is the right solution for our interconnected environmental and social challenges. Key concerns: 💸 The concept reduces nature’s worth to mere monetary value, failing to acknowledge its myriad intangible benefits and its significance to all life forms. 🕸 The natural capital approach treats broad ecosystems as separate assets, it fails to understand that the true value lies in the interconnected and holistic nature of natural systems. 💱 Classifying living things as capital assumes they’re all interchangeable, like trading stocks. 📉 The pricing and assetization of nature leads us to a minimum viable natural world, it becomes a resource to be squeezed for every last drop of profit. 🔒 The monetization of natural assets centralises power and incentivises extractive practices. #NaturalCapital #EcosystemServices #NaturePositive #NatureBasedSoloutions #BioRegions #GreenFinance NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water CSIRO Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

This year, I’m so excited to see the development of the natural capital economy. Of course, it’s nothing new - it was first mentioned in 1973 by E.F Schumacher in his inspiring book, 'Small is Beautiful’. 🥚 🌎 Natural Capital is all about those things that sustain human life, from land and forests to minerals and biodiversity. And now there is way to give financial value to the benefits they give so freely, if we’d just give them a chance to get on with it. Think clean water, cooler summers and less flooding. This year, Defra launches a toolkit for UK farmers. They can now receive compensation for delivering environmental benefits. So, we should begin to see hedgerows being filled in, corners of fields being planted with trees, and at a larger scale, the re-wiggling of rivers. Exciting times! So how can you get involved? 🐛 Well, you can support companies that prioritise environmental sustainability, maybe by checking where your pension is invested. 🌳  You can volunteer with local organisations. Try searching for Nature Recovery projects at your local Wildlife Trust. 🕸 How about creating wildlife-friendly habitats in your own backyard   🐝 Or you could participate in a citizen science projects – such as Buglife’s B-lines or RSPB’s birdwatch. You can find out more about the Natural Capital Economy from this 2 minute animation we made for law firm, Michelmores; leading experts on the policy behind it. #NaturalCapital #BiodiversityGain #Sustainability #ukfarming #ESG #carbonmarkets