Natural Capital

Natural capital presents a compelling investment opportunity for funds responding to the increasing demand for sustainable finance. With opportunities in carbon sequestration, biodiversity and renewable energy, natural capital projects offer portfolio diversification, long-term value creation and alignment with ESG mandates. Our expertise helps to ensure efficient fund structuring, regulatory compliance and tax optimisation.

For private landowners, natural capital opens doors to diversified income streams through initiatives like renewable energy projects, biodiversity credits and carbon offsetting. Revenue stacking—layering income sources such as solar farms and habitat conservation—allows landowners to maximise financial returns while safeguarding land use. Whether guiding planning permissions, structuring environmental agreements or advising on the long-term impacts of land use changes, we help landowners unlock the potential of natural capital while preserving the value of their estates.

For many charities, natural capital aligns environmental sustainability with public benefit objectives, enhancing their ability to attract environmentally conscious donors. The support we provide to our charity clients includes advising on governance, regulatory compliance and structuring natural capital projects to ensure that they advance charitable missions while meeting legal obligations.

Natural capital enables corporate rural landowners to embed sustainability into land management while meeting regulatory and business objectives. Partnerships with local authorities and other stakeholders can drive impactful environmental projects, enhancing biodiversity and achieving carbon reduction targets. Our expert advice includes land use strategies, regulatory compliance and managing stakeholder relationships, ensuring sustainability initiatives align with operational and legal priorities.

• Advising on and drafting environmental unit sale and purchase agreements.
• Preparation of environmental/conservation covenants and S106 agreements for environmental schemes.
• Finance agreements.
• Collaboration agreements between multiple landowners wishing to benefit from environmental schemes.

• Advice on all aspects of your transaction when buying or selling rural land for natural capital projects.

• Preparation of promotion agreements, promoting land for natural capital.
• Assisting landowners in bringing ‘oven ready’ environmental schemes to the market, whether that be via the selling of environmental units/credits, or a sale or lease of land.
• Working in partnership with land agents to value land for natural capital.

• Assisting in applying for planning permissions and preparing any environmental management agreements needed to accompany the application.
• Advising in relation to habitat management agreements and plans.

• Advising on green energy projects such a battery storage, solar and wind farms and drafting relevant legal agreements.

• Advice on the pros and cons of entering into environmental schemes in the context of succession planning for farming businesses.
• Advice on impact on long term land use and land value when considering entering land in natural capital schemes.

• Advice on tax implications for the change in use of land from traditional farming to environmental schemes.

• Advice on disputes arising as a result of an environmental scheme, for example:
  • Enforcing the terms of agreements.
  • Interpretation of clauses in agreements.
  • Breach of conservation covenants and S106 agreements.
  • Breaches of planning obligations or planning conditions.
  • Landlord and tenant disputes over who can benefit from natural capital on the holding.