What is Natural Capital?

Natural Capital describes the value that is derived from nature. Some of the assets that nature provides are well known to landowners, such as food, clothing materials and wood for fuel. Other ‘ecosystem services’ from which natural capital is derived are less well known, including nutrient mitigation and Biodiversity Net Gain.

There is an increasing awareness of the need to protect our environment. Natural Capital provides a means to value ecosystem services that can be used to offset or reverse environmental degradation. Landowners play a vital role in managing our environment. They are stewards of Natural Capital, taking steps to instigate environmental enhancements and acting as custodians of these enhancements for the future.

Landowners role in Natural Capital

Landowners are pivotal to realising the benefits of Natural Capital. In realising the Natural Capital potential of land, landowners have access to new revenue opportunities. Through good environmental stewardship, landowners can provide this mitigation or improvement and sell the benefit to the businesses.

Via Nutrient Neutrality and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) the UK is adopting the principle of ‘the polluter pays’. When businesses like housing developers, water companies or agriculture create a negative environmental impact, they are being asked to either mitigate this impact or improve the overall situation.

How we work with landowners

Greenshank believes in partnership. Unlike other providers, we are not trying to buy your land or secure long-term leases to extract the most value or working on day rates, with no incentive for delivery. Instead, we align our objectives with yours, we work at risk and will only get paid if the project succeeds.
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Why you should work with Greenshank

Our team has industry-leading expertise in both the technical and commercial elements required to maximise a scheme’s potential. We have also been engaged in writing the technical guidance for Natural England, shaping the regulations and policy and maintain an active voice within the industry.Greenshank is currently delivering 6 nutrient mitigation and 3 BNG schemes nationally. These will deliver over 10,000 houses worth of mitigation. We are also using approaches no other providers are. These mean we can yield much higher values and at much lower costs.Our knowledge of the nutrient mitigation and BNG markets mean we can ensure we deliver the best environmental outcomes for nature and the best commercial outcomes for the landowners.