Pension schemes Nest and Cushon have invited fund managers to share views on ways to invest in natural capital, initially focusing on forestry. The schemes – which collectively represent more than £26 billion (US$32 billion) in assets – view forestry as an “up-and-coming asset class” with “historically strong returns”. According to Nest, a number of institutional investors have explored whether this form of strategy could improve both their risk-adjusted returns and their environmental impact. To meet this potential gap in the market, Nest and Cushon are consulting with fund managers on how best to implement an investment strategy from a return and cost perspective, while also considering ESG. “Forestry’s historical risk and return profile may make a compelling argument for a strategic allocation,” Mark Fawcett, CIO at Nest, said. “We’ve started our market warming and I’d encourage fund managers with experience investing in forestry to get in touch, outlining how schemes like Nest and Cushon could enter the market.”
