UK Government Launches Bold Green Finance Strategy to Boost Nature Investment
The UK Government has unveiled a new Green Finance Strategy and Nature Markets Framework, aiming to turbocharge green finance growth and fast-track investment in nature-based solutions. The initiative is a key part of the drive to hit net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Huge Cash Injection to Restore Nature and Cut Emissions
Under the plan announced on Thursday 30 March, the government wants to raise at least £500 million in private finance annually by 2027 in England, soaring to over £1 billion by 2030. The cash is earmarked to protect and restore farmland, forestry, peatlands, and marine areas, boosting biodiversity and helping meet environmental targets.
Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey MP said: “We need a healthy and thriving natural environment to meet our Net Zero goals and build our resilience to climate change. Our announcement today sends a signal that the opportunities from investing in our farmland, forestry, peatlands and marine areas are great and offer long term rewards for people and nature.”
Experts Back Government’s Game-Changing Green Finance Push
Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, praised the strategy, saying:
“The appetite to invest in nature exists, and the Green Finance Strategy and the Nature Markets Framework will help unlock that potential and develop markets for a greener UK. Financing nature-based flood alleviation and climate adaptation schemes will reduce the economic costs of climate impacts in the coming decades.”
Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, added:
“A healthy environment and a vibrant economy go hand in hand. Green finance can unlock nature’s solutions—from restoring clean water to safeguarding food security and public health. Clear standards and pathways for investment mean we can hit economic and environmental goals together.”
What’s in the Green Finance Strategy?
- By 2024, farmers will get support to measure carbon emissions accurately through carbon audits and a harmonised system.
- Farmers and land managers can earn income from environmental land management schemes and attract private funding for carbon capture, water quality improvements, and boosting biodiversity alongside food production.
- A new Nature Markets Framework will grow and streamline green markets, letting projects combine revenue streams for multiple environmental benefits.
- Up to £1 million each is being awarded to pilot local schemes in Cornwall, Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness, West Midlands, and York & North Yorkshire to test green investment models through the Local Investment in Natural Capital (LINC) programme.
- In partnership with the British Standards Institution, the government is setting new nature investment standards—building on the UK Woodland Carbon Code—to give farmers and landowners trusted access to green markets.
UK Leads Global Fight for Climate and Nature
The government also released its 2030 Strategic Framework for international climate and nature action and International Climate Finance Strategy, committing £11.6 billion to help developing countries tackle climate change through 2025/26.
The UK played a pivotal role in securing global pledges at COP26 and COP15, with over 140 countries backing efforts to halt forest loss and protect biodiversity by 2030.
This ambitious green finance push aims to position the UK as a global leader in using nature to fight climate change and create a greener future for all.
