Regional charity Groundwork North East and Cumbria is calling on businesses to help fund environmental projects as part of its new investment portfolio.
The environment and regeneration organisation has launched the portfolio amid moves to make a difference in the climate change battle while also helping businesses boost their green credentials. Groundwork, which has 40 years of experience in environmental and community action, wants to work with companies keen to build or enhance corporate environmental and sustainability strategies.
It is championing a range of Nature-based Solutions designed to conserve, restore or better manage ecosystems to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. In the North East, Groundwork’s NbS efforts focus on its Revitalising Our Estuaries programme, with work being carried out across six river estuaries and communities in the region from Northumberland to North Yorkshire – work which is also helping scientists.
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To help the cause, Groundwork is offering businesses the chance to fund the work. In return they will be able to demonstrate the contribution their investment has made in delivering environmental improvements.
A range of metrics are used including carbon storage, biodiversity, water quality, health and wellbeing, employment and training as well as flood mitigation and improvements in amenity. Groundwork also offers businesses practical opportunities to become involved in community and environmental projects, with hands-on volunteering schemes. The efforts help motivate staff, improve employee relations, attract talent and make a difference in the communities businesses both live and work.
Hellen Hornby, NbS project manager at Groundwork said: “Groundwork is renowned for its pioneering environmental projects and is delighted to have been granted the NEIRF Funding to advance its Nature-based Solutions programme. To finance these programmes, we have developed a package for corporate investors to support our works while dovetailing with their own corporate sustainability goals.
“We will carry out research with businesses to find out what areas of NbS work they are most interested in and this feedback will help us further develop our investor portfolio. We are committed to building strong business partnerships to advance our environmental and sustainability goals.”
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The investor portfolio initiative is working with leading environmental consultancy JBA Consulting in collaboration with green finance specialists Accelar. Investors will receive credit for environmental and social benefits delivered, access to annual updates on the work and its progress, together with photographs and five-yearly monitoring results.
JBA’s project director Steve Maslen said: “To create a more climate-resilient future for our estuaries it will be important to secure long-term funding and we are pleased to be contributing to this important work.”
Accelar’s managing-director Chris Fry added: “It is exciting to be working with different stakeholders to forge a mutually beneficial and repeatable investment model.”