For the second year, Sydney-based forestry investor New Forests has won Boutique investment manager of the year. With over AUD11.7 billion ($8 billion) invested across Australia, Asia, Europe, the US and Africa, it claims to be one of the largest forestry managers in the world.

It has been a strong year of growth for the investor, raising AUD450 million on its Australia New Zealand Landscapes and Forestry Fund. The fund invests in forestry as a broad theme, to include agriculture, carbon-related projects, renewable energy and biodiversity.

It received investments from European institutional investors such as German pension fund Bayerische Versogungskammer and Swedish pension fund Andra AP-fonden (AP2), as well as the Australian-government backed Clean Energy Finance Regulator and an Australian insurance company.

Over the past year, New Forests has seen a growing trend of a wider range of investors involved in its funds. Its south-east Asia-focused New Forests Tropical Asia Forest Fund 2, for example, raised $130 million over the past year saw interest from new investors such as the Asian Development Bank, Sumitomo Trust Bank and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Such growth follows a challenging 2023, Sarah Clawson told Environmental Finance earlier this year, largely due to challenging economic conditions. However, 2024 has seen a "wave of optimism", she said, and growing interest in forestry as a theme and carbon market opportunities.

In response to the award win, Mark Rogers, chief executive, said it is a "reflection of our partnership with a range of investors around the world who seek returns from nature-based real assets, alongside the opportunity to contribute towards a sustainable future".

He concluded that New Forests' "passion for creating world leading investment returns alongside sustainability and impact outcomes continues to be at the centre of everything we do".