Published: 29/04/2026 By Jane Ruell
A couple of years ago, we would have advised clients to exercise caution regarding natural capital markets, using phrases such as untested, nascent and underdeveloped. At that time, banks would not consider income from natural capital as sufficiently reliable to service loans. There was also concern about committing land to nature that might then become restricted by designations. Times are changing, as Rural Chartered Surveyor Jane Ruell explains.There is now a greater understanding of how ecosystem services can be monetised. Alongside government-backed schemes such as the Woodland Carbon Code and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), private businesses are increasingly seeking to offset pollution generated through their day-to-day operations.
Natural Capital is entering the mainstream, with investment set to grow significantly. DEFRA emphasises that clear policy, regulation, and incentives are essential, alongside government support to de-risk investment and strong standards to ensure credible, trusted nature and carbon markets aligned with sustainable growth.
What this means for us as rural advisers is that it is now standard practice to review a farm through a natural capital lens, identifying opportunities to generate income from ecosystem services. Monetising nature recovery is increasingly a realistic and reliable form of diversification. This may include measures such as buffering watercourses, enhancing grasslands, rewetting peatlands, carbon sequestration, habitat banking, hedgerow restoration, natural flood management, rewilding, eco-tourism, and even green prescribing.
At the same time, the range of private finance is expanding rapidly. Developers and housebuilders are paying to offset biodiversity loss; water companies are funding land management to improve water quality; energy companies are purchasing carbon credits; and food supply chains are investing in soil health. In addition, consumers are increasingly favouring food from regenerative or organic systems, often linked to environmental and nutritional benefits.
For further information, please contact Jane on 01305 236237 or our rural experts in your nearest Symonds & Sampson office.
