• The partnership will bring together two organisations, each with sustainability at its core
• The partnership will support the development of Foresight’s natural capital activities and Nature Recovery Statement
• Initiatives will likely begin on Foresight’s 13,000 hectares of UK forests
• The initiative aligns with the ambitions of the UK Nature Recovery Network which has been established to deliver some of the key objectives of the UK Government’s 25-year Environmental Plan

Click here to view the announcement. 

29 June 2022, London: Foresight Group (“Foresight”), a leading sustainable infrastructure and private equity investment manager, is pleased to announce the Eden Project (“Eden”) as its new sustainability partner. Eden will advise Foresight on enhancing biodiversity across its portfolio with an initial focus on its infrastructure and forestry assets.

 

The partnership will provide Foresight with a framework for implementing a nature recovery programme and will enable Foresight to further develop its nature recovery statement – anticipated to be released later this year. This will provide a blueprint for Foresight’s assets and will demonstrate how businesses can contribute to nature recovery efforts.

 

The UK is considered to be one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and the UK Government has set an ambitious 25-year environmental plan. The Nature Recovery Network (“NRN”) is a major commitment in this plan and will result in a national network of wildlife-rich places.  This includes a commitment to restore 500,000 hectares of additional wildlife-rich habitat outside protected sites. Foresight’s partnership with the Eden Project aligns with this environmental plan.

 

The partnership will also engage the public in nature recovery efforts. Foresight already provides local communities with access to green space within its assets for open days, trails and educational opportunities. Foresight plans to build on this, the first step being the launch of the Foresight Seed Bank. Housed at the Eden Project’s National Wildflower Centre, this will be built up from seeds collected across Foresight’s UK sites. The seeds will be planted across Foresight’s sites and will also be shared with community groups as part of the partnership’s engagement and education around nature recovery.

 

This partnership provides further evidence of Foresight’s commitment to natural capital having joined the Natural Capital Alliance in 2021. Here, a select group of investors are mobilising $10 billion towards natural capital themes.

Lily Billings, Group Sustainability Lead at Foresight, commented: “We are delighted to partner with the Eden Project. Together we will create and restore diverse, wildlife-rich and better-connected habitats. Given that our infrastructure and real assets portfolio is predominantly made up of renewable energy, forestry, and afforestation assets, we have a responsibility to work in collaboration with partners like Eden to positively impact the natural ecosystem. The partnership holds so much potential, and we are currently exploring several opportunities with the Eden Project but first, we will start with nature recovery. We look forward to announcing more as the next steps unfold.”

 

Dan James, Eden’s Development Director, added: “As the twin climate and ecological crises deepen there is an increasing need to accelerate nature recovery - for our planet, our wildlife and our communities. It is encouraging to see our new sustainability partner Foresight, a leader in sustainable infrastructure, actively engaging to drive nature recovery across its renewable energy, forestry and afforestation sites.

 

“We hope to inspire UK business to follow Foresight’s lead. We share a deep concern that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries, having only around 50% of its biodiversity left. This is well below the global average of 75% and leaves the nation in the bottom 10% globally in terms of biodiversity preservation. The time for urgent action is now.”

 

 

ENDS

 

For more information contact:

 

Caroline Merrell: caroline.merrell@citigatedewerogerson.com / +44 (0) 7852 210329

 

Toby Moore: toby.moore@citigatedewerogerson.com / +44 (0) 7768 981763

 

Lucy Sherwood: marketing@foresightgroup.eu / +44 (0)20 3667 8100

 

 

About Foresight Group:

 

Foresight Group was founded in 1984 and is a leading listed infrastructure and private equity investment manager. With a long-established focus on ESG and sustainability-led strategies, it aims to provide attractive returns to its institutional and private investors from hard-to-access private markets. Foresight manages over 300 infrastructure assets with a focus on solar and onshore wind assets, bioenergy and waste, as well as renewable energy enabling projects, energy efficiency management solutions, social and core infrastructure projects and sustainable forestry assets. Its private equity team manages ten regionally focused investment funds across the UK and an SME impact fund supporting Irish SMEs. This team reviews over 2,500 business plans each year and currently supports more than 200 investments in SMEs. Foresight Capital Management manages four strategies across six investment vehicles with an AUM of over £1.6 billion.

Foresight operates from 12 offices across six countries in Europe and Australia with AUM of £9 billion as at 13 June 2022*. Foresight Group Holdings Limited listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in February 2021. https://www.fsg-investors.com/

*Unaudited Assets Under Management, as at 13 June 2022.

 

About the Eden Project:

 

The Eden Project believes that only by deepening our collective understanding of the interconnections between all living things and seeing them as a whole can we protect the Earth and engender environmental harmony and social equity.

 

Our home in Cornwall, UK, is a striking contemporary garden for the 21st century combining botanical garden, plant collection, park and visitor destination. It is a living theatre of plants and people.

 

The brainchild of Sir Tim Smit, Eden is an educational charity that connects people with each other and the living world.

 

Twenty-one years ago this disused china clay pit was transformed into a global garden to demonstrate what people could do when they put their minds to something.

 

Nestled in a huge crater, two massive Biomes housing a tropical rainforest and the fragrant landscapes of the Mediterranean serve as a spectacular backdrop to the scimitar-shaped beds of the Outdoor Gardens. Wild landscapes are juxtaposed with Europe’s largest collection of useful plants, ranging from food crops to fuels and medicines to materials.

 

With more than 22 million visitors to date, Eden is a world-class attraction for all ages and interests, underpinned by transformational projects and learning programmes. Eden is a place where people come for good food, music, art, exhibitions, inspiration, and year-round events, as well as to simply enjoy the beauty of the gardens.

 

Website: www.edenproject.com
LinkedIn: @edenproject
Instagram:@edenprojectcornwall
Twitter: @EdenProject