Ben Goldsmith is an environmentalist, financier, and advocate for rewilding who has spent decades at the intersection of conservation and investment. In this episode he shares his unique perspective on how finance can support ecological renewal, how rewilding is revolutionising conservation, and how investors can tap into nature recovery as an emerging asset class.
Shift from Micromanagement to Restoring Natural Processes
Traditional conservation focused on saving the last habitats through intensive micromanagement. Rewilding takes a different approach by restoring natural processes at scale and allowing ecosystems to recover in unpredictable ways. This approach is more cost effective and can deliver biodiversity and restore bio abundance that has been lost from our landscapes. Rewilding creates dynamic ecosystems that provide resilience for communities and wildlife alike.
Build Economic Models Around Natural Capital
Many landscapes are locked into non-viable land uses that damage nature and offer poor returns. In Britain, sheep farming generates minimal income for farmers whilst degrading biodiversity and water retention, meaning nearby towns get flooded. By introducing payments for natural flood management, nature-based carbon, and biodiversity credits, rewilding creates diverse revenue streams for landowners.
Invest in Nature Recovery as an Asset Class
Investors can now put money into restoring rivers, wetlands, and landscapes and get paid back with a return. For example, businesses along the river Plym that kept getting flooded every year, clubbed together to pay for river restoration. A pension fund put up the initial money to do the work, and they get repaid from the savings those businesses make by not flooding anymore. This creates real investment opportunities where restoring nature can generate reliable income.