A chance for attendees to grab a coffee, meet our sponsors and exhibitors, and drop by one of our morning seminars and briefings.

Our introduction to this seventh Nature Finance UK Conference, and how to get the most from the day.

Scottish Government’s Minister for Employment and Investment, Tom Arthur MSP, outlined the steps the Scottish public sector will take to attract greater responsible private investment into high-integrity natural capital markets.

Distinguished business leader Sir Ian Cheshire speaks about the central role of the UK natural environment in a green and blue economy.

• Sir Ian Cheshire, Chair, We Mean Business Coalition

Learn how leading businesses are finding ways to become involved in funding and financing the natural environment that they and wider society need. This panel session with representatives of a diverse set of businesses is be chaired by Rachel Solomon Williams, Chief Executive of the Aldersgate Group.

• Rachel Solomon Williams, Chief Executive, Aldersgate Group (Chair)
• Emma Mansbridge, Sustainability Manager, Nestlé Waters UK
• Alex Veitch, Director of Policy and Insights, British Chambers of Commerce
• Ben Knight, Head of Sustainability, Leonardo UK
• Simon Lewis, Partner, Brabners LLP

Watch the panel on-demand

An opportunity to meet our sponsors and exhibitors, and participate in our range of seminars and briefings

Since August 2024, abrdn, NatureScot, Hampden & Co and Palladium have been working on an expanded Nature Investment Partnership. Together they are finding new ways to deliver responsible investment and community benefit through nature restoration in Scotland. With the support of the UK Infrastructure Bank, their strategy is now being finalised, and which was presented to 2024’s Nature Finance UK Conference.

• Fraser Green, Head of Natural Capital Investment, abrdn
• Craig Mackenzie Senior Lecturer, Climate and Nature Finance, University of Edinburgh Business School
• Susannah Stock, Director of Natural Solutions, National Wealth Fund
• Tom Gegg, Project Development Lead – UK Nature Based Solutions, Palladium
• Graham Neville, Head of Operations North, NatureScot

Watch the panel on demand

An increasing number of UK businesses want to secure the natural environment they need for net zero, for climate resilience and nature recovery. Nature strategies, targets and reporting are just the start of delivering outcomes. Join this discussion between two experts in the field to discover the diverse roles that businesses large and small in the UK are able to play in the integration of nature into the mainstream; as enablers, buyers, partners and investors.

• Stephanie Hime, Managing Director, Little Blue Research
• Sam Sinclair, Co-founder and Director, Biodiversify.

Watch the panel on demand

The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water, Australian Government, provides her perspective on nature finance via a video address recorded for the Conference.

The Nature Investment Standards Programme, led by BSI, plays a key role as part of UK leadership in nature finance. Join this session chaired by BSI to discover how the new framework of standards will support high integrity nature markets that enable positive environmental outcomes.

• George Sethia, Nature Investment Standards Programme Director, BSI (chair)
• Kerry ten Kate, Independent Advisor
• Andy Grundy, Head of Climate and Landscape, Soil Association Certification Ltd 
• Susan Twining, Chief Land Use Policy Advisor, CLA
• Ian Dickie FRSA, Director, eftec

Watch the panel on demand

Join this panel to see experts in environmental science, finance and investment explore the importance of working at the landscape scale to drive environmental outcomes through nature finance. UKCEH scientists will present how large-scale ecosystem management reveals critical interconnections and dependencies in nature. They highlight how science and monitoring are essential in understanding these complexities and predicting long-term environmental benefits. The panel explain how landscape-scale approaches can attract investment, exploring how data-driven insights can help forecast and track the financial returns of nature-based projects.

• Dr. Stuart Wainwright, Chief Executive of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (Chair)
• Dana Clouston, Head of Sustainable Finance, Barclays
• Fraser Green, Head of Natural Capital Investment, abrdn
• Richard Pywell, Head of Biodiversity Research, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Watch the panel on demand

An opportunity to meet our sponsors and exhibitors, and participate in our range of seminars and briefings

Huge social and economic value can flow from the restoration of land, water and nature. In response, leading businesses and investors are seeking to work with current and future stewards of rural land in the UK. Join this session to discover how these relationships work in practice. It is led by experts from leading property business, Knight Frank, and invited guests.

• James Farrell, Head of Rural Consultancy, Knight Frank (Chair)
• Holly Story FAAV, Head of Nature Based Solutions, National Parks Partnerships
• Hosein Khajeh-Hosseiny, Founder, CEO & Chairman, Trinity NCM

Watch the panel on demand

This panel brings together expert speakers from Defined Contribution (DC) schemes, Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS), and an investment consultancy to discuss actionable strategies for engaging the asset owner community in driving meaningful environmental impact. The session emphasizes the vital role of stewardship in achieving biodiversity goals and explore the latest practices in stewardship, alongside innovative approaches to impact investing. Panelists also discuss the expanding opportunities within natural capital as an emerging asset class, offering insights into how these investments not only address biodiversity loss but also create value for asset owners over the long term.

• Rob Gardner, CEO & Co-Founder, Rebalance Earth (Chair)
• Anastasia Guha, Global Head of Sustainable Investment, Redington
• Darran Ward, Head of Alternatives, West Yorkshire Pension Fund
• Mark Thompson, Independent Trustee and Chair, Various DB and DC Pension Funds

Watch the panel on demand

• Mary Creagh CBE MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Nature), HM Government