Bringing together diverse professionals to find their opportunity in nature finance

Nature finance refers to the pursuit of a greater role for private money in the stewardship of land, water and nature. Throughout the UK, organisations large and small are finding opportunity in this arena. It has become an important dimension of sustainable business, of impact investment and green finance.

For over a decade, Ecosystems Knowledge Network has been at the forefront of advancing nature finance in the UK. Our pioneering Natural Capital Investment Conference in 2018 brought together leaders in sustainable investing, financial services and nature-based project provision. Since then, both the arena and the event have grown significantly. The event is now known as the Nature Finance UK Conference.

Alongside the annual conference, we run other events that advance this arena across the UK. A summary is provided below.

London, November 2025

• This edition of the annual conference showed how nature is now being recognised as essential national infrastructure, fundamental to economic resilience and long‑term growth. With 400 delegates from finance, corporate sustainability, land management and government, the event demonstrated the breadth of sectors now actively shaping nature finance.
• The event highlighted the growing role of insurance in maturing nature markets. It also showcased innovation by businesses, including Clyde & Co’s pioneering multi‑year agreement with Nature Broking; treating long‑term carbon removal purchases as assets that can be placed on a balance sheet, rather than costs to be absorbed.
• Speakers emphasised an urgent need for faster, clearer public policy frameworks to keep pace with market growth. They stressed that ‘natural capital’ should not be viewed as a new asset class, but rather as something that underpins every sector. Leading organisations such as Digaeo, Kier Group and Aviva demonstrated why investing in resilient natural systems is becoming a mainstream strategic priority.

Newtown, 7th October 2025

• Brought together senior leaders from across Wales to set a collective approach to financial innovation for land, water and nature.
• Shared practical insight into action already taking place, including the cultivation of nature markets, and explored how public, private and philanthropic finance can work together more effectively.
• Set out the ‘big picture’ of how funding from all sources can deliver environmental recovery, climate resilience and long‑term wellbeing for Wales, while supporting rural, coastal and marine economies.

London, 5th November 2024

• Hosted the first public announcement of a Nature Investment Partnership for Scotland.
• Provided the platform for the launch of Scottish Government’s Natural Capital Markets Framework, presented by Tom Arthur MSP, who was then Minister for Employment and Investment. This set governance expectations for UK nature markets. 
• Showcased significant market‑maker progress and investment product innovation for landowners and rural assets, with Knight Frank describing the event as evidence of a viable private nature finance market emerging.  

London, 26th September, with a follow-up Nature Finance Forum Scotland in Edinburgh on 2nd October 2023.

• Hosted the launch of the Nature Impact Accelerator by Finance Earth, directing investment into nature‑positive enterprises.  
• Delivered the first announcement of the UK Nature Market Principles, co‑developed with major NGO partners, helping shape integrity expectations in nature markets 
• Discussions between participants at the event emphasised that the arena had begun shifting from thinking solely about carbon credits to a broader strategic value of nature. Water security, flood resilience, and supply‑chain benefits were highlighted.  

London and Edinburgh

• Featured the launch of Wilder Carbon, a now highly respected standard for nature-rich carbon credits in the UK. It was also the launchpad for Credit Nature, a system to empower sustainability-focused companies to evidence their nature-positive commitments and helps landowners to maximise the natural assets that they are responsible for.
• The event also provided the setting for the announcement of the Nature Investment Strategy that has evolved into the UK Nature Impact Fund that is now managed by Finance Earth.

Online (due to Covid-19 Pandemic restrictions)

• Advanced UK‑wide discussions on metrics, materiality, impact measurement, TNFD readiness, and natural capital governance 
• Investor commentary highlighted pathways to scaling global pipelines of nature‑based investments, including regenerative agriculture funds, sovereign nature bonds and blended finance 

Online (due to Covid-19 Pandemic restrictions)

• This event was broadcast online to over 1000 participants from 30 countries.
• Launch of the Blue Impact Fund. WWF and Finance Earth announced the initiation of a £75 million fund for marine conservation in the UK.   
• Highlighted leading local government action in Scotland on nature finance, helping seed future Scottish nature investment infrastructure 

London

• Hosted the London launch of Scotland’s £1bn Conservation Finance challenge, now the basis for Riverwoods and the Scottish Nature Finance Pioneers.  
• Initiated the UK Nature Finance Learning Group, now with over 1,300 members UK‑wide. A specialist Welsh forum on financing the sustainable management of land and water has been started in response to this.
• Reinforced investor interest in natural capital as part of national resilience (themes: flood mitigation, climate adaptation, revenue models, impact‑investor pathways). 

London

• This event included speakers from Triodos Bank UK, Green Investment Group, the Aldersgate Group and Business in the Community.
• At the inaugural conference in 2018, delegates started a conversation that led to four funded nature finance pilot projects in England. These pilots provided the basis for the subsequent £14 million Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund of HM Government. The Fund has supported over 100 projects in England. Some of these projects have become significant enterprises. The Fund has directly prompted the £4 million Facility for Investment Readiness for Nature in Scotland, funded by NatureScot (using Scottish Government funding), together with the National Heritage Lottery Fund.