The Oxon Green Futures prospectus, launched at the end of June, sets out investment-ready projects in Oxfordshire in renewable energy, nature recovery, sustainable infrastructure and green technology.
Having received an overwhelmingly positive response to its call for green initiatives looking for investment, Oxon Green Futures is aimed at accelerating the green economy in Oxfordshire – and has initially selected four projects as being ‘immediately investible’. Two, featured below, are in the area of nature recovery and Biodiversity Net Gain.
- Landscape recovery
The Evenlode Landscape Recovery Project aims to restore the habitats of three rivers, the Evenlode, the Glyme and the Dorn, to deliver clean water, natural flood management, carbon sequestration, nature recovery and related social outcomes. This long term project, due to run from September 2025 to September 2055, is led by the North East Cotswold Farmer Cluster, working closely with DEFRA. It will sequester around a million tCO2e through the scheme in 30 years, at a total project cost of £75 million. Existing landowners and managers, all shareholders, will be paid a participation payment for the first 20 years of the project, subject to certain habitat conditions being met. They will then share in the total proceeds of the project. The project is seeking £20-30 million equity investment.
Recovering around 4,000 hectares of Oxfordshire’s natural landscape, it will restore flood plains, boost biodiversity, and reduce sediment as well as nitrate and phosphate leakage to improve water quality. Revenue streams will include a range of carbon units, Biodiversity Net Gain, water quality, natural flood management, recreation, health and education. This is a chance to participate in the UK’s largest flood management scheme, protecting properties and infrastructure across the catchment and downstream of the city of Oxford, as well as to enhance community wellbeing by opening more landscape to public access.
- Oxfordshire Nature Recovery Fund (ONReF)
The Oxfordshire Nature Recovery Fund (ONReF) provides early-stage funding for natural capital projects that deliver biodiversity gains and financial returns, for example creating habitat banks to meet mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) targets, supporting revenue-generating nature-based carbon sequestration projects, and funding Nature-based Flood Mitigation (NFM) projects such as berms, dykes and other flood barriers.
ONReF, led by the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment, will stimulate growth and maturation in the new nature capital markets – such as NFM, carbon sequestration and BNG – by harnessing private sector financing to support nature recovery. The project will be funded by debt and/or bond finance, with a total cost estimated at between £6m and £11m, the return on investment is expected to be 5% per year with the potential for higher returns in the longer term as nature capital markets become more established.
To find out more, visit https://oxongreenfutures.co.uk/investment-opportunities/
Project contacts:
Evenlode Landscape Recovery: tim.coates@dunthrop.co.uk