Climate Asset Management's Natural Capital Strategy and its Nature Based Carbon Strategy have been named this year's Environmental fund of the year, global and this year's Environmental fund of the year EMEA respectively. The strategies achieved initial first close in 2022 and have collectively raised more than $1 billion, as at 28 June 2024.

At the time of the awards submission, the Natural Capital Strategy had invested in natural capital projects in Europe and Australasia. More recently, it has signed its first North American transaction. Sustainable Investment Awards judges praised the fund for its innovative approach in what is still a relatively nascent market, saying its projects "demonstrate strong expertise in regenerative agriculture and sustainable forestry".

These projects include:

• a 1,400-hectare regenerative agriculture project in Portugal focusing on olive and almond production;
• an 1,800-hectare project in Queensland Australia that will transform a degraded sugar cane farm to a 'regeneratively managed, biodiverse native' macadamia nut orchard – anticipated to be the world's largest; and,
• 8,100-hectares of redwood plantations in New Zealand, generating returns from timber sales and carbon credit sales.

The agriculture projects will implement water efficiency strategies and precision agriculture techniques, while monitoring reductions of synthetic fertiliser and chemical pesticides by up to 50%. In New Zealand, management strategies will be implemented to protect and restore the native forest and improve biodiversity through active management and 'exotic pest control'.

Voluntary carbon markets are the key tool of Climate Asset Management's Nature Based Carbon Strategy, which was chosen as this year's Environmental fund of the year, EMEA. In addition to a multi-country agroforestry programme in Malawi, Kenya and Uganda, over the past year, the fund has invested in a Kenyan project that will oversee the adoption of sustainable grazing practices within 25 Maasai group ranches and private landlords.

The project aims to improve over 900,000 hectares of savannas and grasslands through a 30-year program, which will generate 'high-impact carbon credits' shared between the investors and the local communities.

On the award wins, Martin Berg, chief executive of Climate Asset Management, said: "We increasingly find nature and climate impact high on the agenda in most boardrooms, which gives us confidence that natural capital will fast become a core component for portfolio diversification and decarbonisation/net-zero planning."