Mainstreaming Natural Capital Investing: How Apple & Partners Invest in Forestry & Carbon Removal To Generate Returns | Martin Berg, Climate Asset Management (#045)

SRI360 | Socially Responsible Investing, ESG, Impact Investing, Sustainable Investing

Have you ever stopped to think how we’re treating biodiversity like it’s free to use? Our planet’s biodiversity does a great service for all humankind, and it's time we give it the financial value it deserves.
This is the core of natural capital investing, and today’s guest, Martin Berg, is here to share its inner workings.
He is the CEO of Climate Asset Management, and he made his way into climate finance at the UN’s first Climate Change Conference following the Kyoto Protocol. Martin's commitment to climate and nature-based solutions has led him through several leadership and strategy positions over the past two decades, integrating natural capital investing and carbon finance across both private and public sectors at organizations like the European Investment Bank, Merrill Lynch, RNK Capital, and the OECD.
Martin shares how Climate Asset Management started off as a joint venture between HSBC and Pollination. With $650 million of AUM raised after just 18 months, the company has become a global asset management leader in the field of natural capital investing, carbon offsets, and innovative financial vehicles that bridge the two.
The company is now investing across all asset classes, themes, and geographies, and even managing capital on behalf of high profile corporates such as Apple, among other large institutional investors.
In this episode, Martin shares his thoughts on how natural capital investing not only addresses climate change but also offers significant, long-term financial returns. He emphasizes the importance of moving large amounts of capital to this space for our planet’s future, and delivers a comprehensive view of the challenges and opportunities in natural capital and carbon finance.
Tune in to learn how nature’s value can turn into real financial gains that drive positive environmental impact.
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Show notes

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About the SRI 360° Podcast: The SRI 360° Podcast is focused exclusively on sustainable & responsible investing. In each episode, I interview a world-class investor who is an accomplished practitioner from all asset classes. In my interviews, I cover everything from their early personal journeys to insights into how they developed and executed their investment strategies and what challenges they face today. Each episode is a chance to go way below the surface with these impressive people and gain additional insights and useful lessons from professional investors.
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Key Takeaways

Meet Martin Berg & his early experiences at the UN & OECD (00:00)
Becoming a Carbon Finance Specialist at RNK Capital in New York (13:15)
Martin’s time at Merrill Lynch, the European Investment Bank, & Pollination (21:26)
An overview of Climate Asset Management (42:19)
Martin defines what natural capital investment is (48:50)
Climate Asset Management's theory of change & investment examples (53:35)
What makes a strong nature-based investment? (01:02:45)
The investment process at Climate Asset Management (01:10:00)
Apple’s Restore Fund & The Future of Natural Capital Investing (01:23:53)
Rapid fire questions (01:32:14)
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Additional Resources

Listen to the episode about Tammy Newmark & her Eco Enterprises Fund.
Learn more about Climate Asset Managemen