About Us
In line with the Green Finance Institute’s broader vision of a greener future made possible by finance, GFI Hive’s mission is to increase private investment in nature restoration, nature-based solutions and nature-positive outcomes in and for the UK.
We work with the finance sector, government, academia, environmental NGOs and land managers to identify and unlock barriers to this mission, and act as a knowledge hub on private investment in nature to increase shared learning, best practices and investment appetite.
Latest Insights
The Investment Readiness Toolkit
The Investment Readiness Toolkit is an online and interactive framework that takes nature-based project developers and enterprises along the eight milestones of a path to ‘Investment Readiness’, providing key considerations and case studies.
Click here to view the toolkit.
Case Studies
Responsible Commodities Facility
The Responsible Commodities Facility provides financial incentives to produce soy in existing cleared and degraded lands in order to discourage further expansion of agricultural land in the Brazilian Cerrado. An $11m pilot fund has been launched with four-year green bonds bought by Tesco, Sainsburys and Waitrose, and the proceeds are used for low-interest loans to nine large farming groups
The ASN Biodiversity Fund
The ASN Biodiversity Fund is the first listed fund for natural capital that uses investment from the retail sector. It targets large funds and listed companies that have a measurable positive impact on biodiversity and nature restoration through sectors such as agroforestry and sustainable fishery. For every €1 million invested, the Fund aims to help restore around 230 hectares of land or sea to a healthy ecological balance.
Latest Podcasts
COP15 Special: Live from Montréal
In this episode of Financing Nature in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme for COP15 in Montréal, we speak to those on the ground to hear why they have come, what they are hoping for from the negotiations on the crucial Global Biodiversity Framework, and their own work in halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. Topics cover the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures and data; financial sector engagement; business engagement and the role of subsidies; indigenous peoples and local communities; and the role of governments and public sector finance.
Guests include representatives from the TNFD, NatCap Research, Finance for Biodiversity Foundation, Federated Hermes, Schroders, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Nestlé, JungleKeepers and UNEP FI.
COP15 Special: Elizabeth Mrema and David Ainsworth, UN Convention on Biological Diversity
In this special episode at the start of COP15 in Montreal in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme, guests Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary, and David Ainsworth, Information Officer, at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity join the Green Finance Institute's Helen Avery. Together they share what we need to see over the 12 days of the Conference including within the Global Biodiversity Framework and its targets, commitments to reduce harmful subsidies, and greater actions to increase financial flows for nature restoration and protection.
Useful Resources
Report: Investing in Carbon Markets: Cleared for Take Off
Date published: October 2023
Report: The High Cost of Cheap Water
Date published: October 2023
Released on World Food Day, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)'s The High Cost of Cheap Water report uncovers a stark reality: the annual economic value of water and freshwater ecosystems is estimated to be USD 58 trillion – equivalent to 60% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The report finds that direct economic benefits, such as water consumption for households, irrigated agriculture and industries, amount to a minimum of USD 7.5 trillion annually. It also estimates that the unseen benefits - which include purifying water, enhancing soil health, storing carbon, and protecting communities from extreme floods and droughts - are seven times higher at around USD 50 trillion annually. But the world’s freshwater ecosystems are in a downward spiral, posing an ever growing risk to these economic values.
Report: State of Voluntary Biodiversity Credits Market: A Global Review of Biodiversity Credit Schemes
Date published: October 2023
Pollination has carried out one of the most extensive global analysis to date of voluntary biodiversity credit schemes. The report creates three review frameworks to support the comparative analysis of biodiversity credit schemes: a design framework, integrity framework and technical framework. Using these frameworks, Pollination analysed eight biodiversity credit schemes, providing a view of the supply side of this fast-emerging market. The report identifies key characteristics and market trends across the 8 schemes. It also identifies six key attributes of voluntary biodiversity credit schemes that should be prioritised for improvement over coming years.
Report: Let's Discuss Nature with Climate: Engagement Guide
Date published: October 2023
Building on the nature-related finance collaboration between the Banking Environment Initiative (BEI) and Investment Leaders Group (ILG), the Centre for Sustainable Finance (CISL)’s new Let’s Discuss Nature with Climate Engagement Guide details how banks and investment managers can accelerate the transition to a nature-positive economy by engaging with portfolio clients and investee companies on nature protection and restoration through existing climate mitigation efforts. The Guide presents a five-phase approach (see diagram below) to integrate nature into existing engagements on climate.
