Across the UK economy, a shift is underway in how nature is understood and valued. At the Nature Finance UK Conference, one message came through with clarity: the natural environment is no longer seen as an external concern or a discretionary good. It is increasingly recognised as critical national infrastructure, essential to economic resilience, risk management and long-term growth.

From conservation charities to global insurers, speakers throughout the day focused on how private finance can help secure the climate-resilient natural systems on which the economy depends. The conference brought together 400 delegates from financial services, corporate sustainability, land management and government, reflecting the breadth of interest – and responsibility – in this emerging field.

Insurance and the foundations of nature markets

A recurring theme was the role of insurance in helping nature markets function efficiently and credibly. In the opening keynote, Anthony Hobley of Howden highlighted how insurance-backed structures are enabling real-world delivery, including through DUAL UK’s support for biodiversity credits generated by Highlands Rewilding. As one of the UK’s most ambitious privately financed nature recovery initiatives, the project illustrates how risk-sharing mechanisms can unlock capital at scale.

Without tools to manage delivery and performance risk, markets for carbon and biodiversity credits will struggle to mature. Insurance, alongside clear standards and governance, is increasingly seen as part of the essential plumbing of nature finance.

A new approach to corporate carbon procurement

The conference also showcased innovation in how businesses engage with nature-based solutions. Global law firm Clyde & Co announced a pioneering agreement with Nature Broking for a multi-year advanced purchase of nature-based carbon removal credits. The agreement will secure supply to manage Clyde & Co’s projected residual emissions from 2038 onwards, covering 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

Crucially, the firm is capitalising the purchase as an asset on its balance sheet rather than treating it as a profit-and-loss expense. This approach signals a potential shift in corporate sustainability accounting, recognising long-term nature investments as strategic assets rather than short-term costs.

The initial allocation — fully insured against project failure — spans a mix of UK and international initiatives, including Woodland Carbon Code projects in southern Scotland, a rewilding project, afforestation in Kenya’s Nandi County, and a technological carbon removal solution. The portfolio approach reflects growing sophistication in how organisations manage both climate risk and delivery risk.

Policy momentum – and the need to move faster

While private sector leadership was evident, speakers were clear that public policy must keep pace. Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins told delegates that government needs to go further and faster to underpin what is set to become a multi-billion-pound arena of carbon trading and finance for nature-based climate resilience.

Clearer policy signals, long-term frameworks and confidence in market rules will be critical if private capital is to flow at the scale required.

Not a new asset class, but essential infrastructure

One of the strongest conclusions from the day was that nature should not be framed as a novel asset class. Woodland, wetlands and healthy soils are long-standing forms of infrastructure that underpin almost every other asset class — from housing and transport to food systems and insurance.

These assets take time to establish and restore. But for patient capital and businesses planning for the long term, investing in natural infrastructure is increasingly seen as unavoidable. Companies such as Diageo, Kier Group and Aviva, all represented at the conference, demonstrated the value of engaging early and practically.

As conference director Bruce Howard put it:

“The world has been alert to the need for private finance for green technologies like electric vehicles and solar power for decades. But it has been caught napping when it comes to financing the natural environment the economy needs in the face of a changing climate.”

This is not a story about additional burden. It is about using private and public capital more intelligently to deliver what businesses and communities already rely on: flood protection, resilient supply chains, stable food prices and functioning landscapes.

Nature, as the conference made clear, is no longer a charitable afterthought. It is an investment case for 21st-century infrastructure.