Growing nature finance is essential to bridge the financing gap to deliver the global biodiversity goals. It can also address the multiple challenges of delivering sustainable and regenerative agriculture, climate adaptation and water management. The Netherlands and the United Kingdom share challenges in relation to nature, such as biodiversity loss, limited public funds and are both engaged in efforts to mobilize private finance for nature conservation and restoration. Both countries have positioned themselves strongly over the past few years in the emerging domain of nature finance. This development provides opportunities for bilateral exchange. On July 1st 2025, a bilateral Netherlands-UK Roundtable on nature finance was organized to explore these opportunities. The roundtable was part of a broader factfinding mission by a Dutch multi-stakeholder delegation.
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Background to the project
The United Kingdom, with its strong policy focus on nature finance, is widely regarded as an international frontrunner in this domain. The Netherlands is recognized globally as a thought leader in green finance. Recognizing these complementary strengths, the Agricultural Counsellor at the Netherlands Embassy hosted the first bilateral Netherlands-UK Nature Finance Roundtable. Around 35 Dutch and UK representatives from finance and specifically nature finance, environmental groups, government, academia and farmer’s groups came together to discuss potential areas for bilateral exchange.
The Netherlands Embassy in London commissioned and published a report titled ‘Nature finance in the UK. Status and areas for potential exchange and collaboration with The Netherlands’ in April 2025. The report provides an overview of nature finance policy in both the United Kingdom and The Netherlands and highlights areas for possible exchange, including: landscape- and catchment-level finance, scaling investment models, and high-integrity nature finance standards. The round table, moderated by report author, Annelisa Grigg, Director at Globalbalance, and Will MacDonald, Associate at the Ecosystems Knowledge Network, built on this report, by focusing on the enabling environment for nature finance and the landscape- and catchment-level approaches. For a group of Dutch participants, the round table formed part of a broader factfinding mission on nature finance. Other elements of this mission included an exchange with Defra on the UK nature finance policy framework as well as site visits. The delegation visited a farm participating in Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs) and the Blackwater Environmental Investment for Conservation (BEIC) project.
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Shared understandings and opportunities for collaboration
During the day, there were contributions from speakers from the ‘demand side’ of nature finance such as investors, banks and financial organisations as well as organisations from the ‘supply side’, such as nature protection and restoration NGOs alongside farmers groups and academia. For UK perspectives on an enabling environment for nature finance, presentations were given by the Green Finance Institute and the British Standards Institution, as well as by Triodos Bank Netherlands, the Ecosystems Knowledge Network and Finance Earth. In addition, there were contributions from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN), Defra and the Scottish Government. In the afternoon, the group discussed landscape and catchment level approaches. The discussion focused on how these approaches can design and deliver high-impact and high-integrity nature finance. A representative of Ecoshape, a foundation under Dutch law that facilitates the Building with nature network, explained how they work on the implementation of large-scale nature-based solutions projects. Contributions were made by Nature North and the Environmental Farmers Group on their experience with landscape level nature finance approaches. In breakout sessions, participants then discussed shared learnings, opportunities and priorities for collaboration.
By the end of the day, participants voted on the topics that seemed most fruitful for collaboration. Participants showed the strongest appetite to collaborate on: (i) standards, metrics and data; (ii) cross-ministerial policy and practice exchange; and (iii) strategies to build demand for nature‑finance projects. The group also discussed possible mechanisms for collaboration – practical ways to implement bilateral exchange. Capacity building emerged as a vital enabler - ensuring stakeholders across sectors have the tools, skills, and shared language needed to accelerate progress.
The roundtable confirmed a strong appetite for Netherlands-UK collaboration on nature finance, with clear opportunities to align approaches, share lessons, and strengthen investor demand. With momentum now established, both countries are well placed not only to lead domestically within their own jurisdictions, but also to inspire international efforts to deliver Target 19 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, sharing insights and approaches that support a global transition to high-integrity, nature-positive finance. Further exchanges are expected to build on the discussions and shape practical cooperation in the months ahead.
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Interested in learning more?
Would you like to receive the report Nature finance in the UK. Status and areas for potential exchange and collaboration with The Netherlands or would like to learn more about future efforts on this topic? Please send a message to lon-lvvn@minbuza.nl, with your name, role and email address.